Visakhapatnam: The rising temperature across the state is not only giving unease to the public but also pushing up the prices of vegetable and fruits. The prices of vegetables have shot up almost by 40 per cent in the last few days available at the Rythu Bazaars. Rise in vegetable prices during summer due to gap between demand and supply is normal but this time, the prices started rising earlier than usual with a fear of further increase in coming days.

Prices of most vegetables like okra (bhindi), beans, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, green peas, brinjal, tindoor and some others have seen a hike of between 30 and 50 per cent mainly due to low arrivals. What is worrying is that the trend is visible even before the peak summer, said R. Sudhakar, a regular visitor at government run vegetable market (Rythu Bazaar) in the city.

Lady’s finger are going for `55 a kg in the open markets while the prices of beans, ridge gourd and some others vegetables have touched Rs 40 per kg. The price of quality tomato is still around `25 a kg in the open markets. With prices of vegetable continuing to increase, it will be very difficult to manage in the peak summer as the availability of vegetables will come down and prices would soar like temperature, said Prasanthi M., a house wife.

Sources said that in the open markets the prices of vegetable is nearly 30 to 40 per cent above the prices at the Rythu Bazaars but consumers can get good quality vegetables in the open vegetable markets only. The prices of summer fruits like watermelon, sapota and grapes have increased by 30 per cent within a week in the city as the traders citing that availability has decreased.

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The price of okra (bhindi) has reached Rs50 per kg in open markets.

The availability of varieties of vegetables has down.

Vizag city has over 12 Rythu Bazars (vegetable markets)