After onion, tomato and garlic prices add to sorrow of citizens

While onion prices eased a little by Rs10 a kg in Delhi today, citizens continued to be battered by high rates of other important vegetables like tomato and garlic, which are becoming out of reach for common man.

There is no change in prices of tomato today at Rs40 a kg in retail from yesterday's same level, traders said.

Prices of tomato has risen to Rs40 a kg in retail in Delhi in the past three days against Rs15-20 a kg 10 days back, they added.

The wholesale prices of the tomato in Azadpur market (Asia's biggest fruit & vegetable market) has moved upward from Rs10-15 a kg ten days ago to Rs 25-30 a kg, president of Tomato Traders Association Darshan Lal Arora told Press Trust of Imdia.

The scenario is no better in other cities also where both wholesale and retail rates of the important vegetable (tomato) is on rise now from past 10 days.

Binod Chauhan, a prominent tomato trader at Azadpur, attributed the price rise to supply crunch to the tune of 50% now.

Arora blamed large-scale export of tomato to Pakistan to earn "handsome cash' as also a significant reason for the shortage in domestic market of the national capital.

Arora and Chauhan hoped the situation would improve after January 10 with fresh arrivals from Gujarat and Rajasthan regions.

Along with tomato the citizens are feeling pinch due to enhanced cost of garlic which is ruling at Rs250-280 a kg in retail in the national capital and other prominent cities.

Prices of garlic, used for flavouring various dishes and used as an important ingredient in ayurvedic medicines, have risen sharply at Rs250-280 a kg now in the national capital compared to Rs160-180 a kg a month back, trade sources said.

An important bulb crop, garlic is selling at Rs120-180 a kg in the wholesale market now depending on the quality against Rs80-120 a month ago, vice-president, Garlic Merchants Association, Azadpur market, Jitendra Khurana told PTI today.

Bulb crops are a crop grouping that include all of the allium species except chives.

Khurana attributed rise in prices of garlic to drop in production to the tune of 30% in 2010 in the bulk producing states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh mainly due to unseasonal rains.

He hoped the supply of garlic would boost after January 15 when fresh crops arrive in Delhi markets from Ratlam, Mandsor and Mimach in Madhya Pradesh.