With prices of vegetables skyrocketing in the local bazaar, it may come as a surprise to many that vegetables have actually become cheaper in the mandi. Except for peas, the season for which is now over, most vegetables have become cheaper by Rs 5-10 per kg. The situation with fruits is much the same. However, contrary to expectations, the retail markets have only seen an increase.
Market observers say they had been expecting a drop in prices for over a month now after vegetable supply to the Capital stabilised. ``At the beginning of March, green vegetables, for instance, had just started coming in and there was a demand and supply gap. The quality was also not very good. Now, there is ample produce in the market and as expected, prices have dropped,'' said I A Khan of Azadpur Mandi.
However, the government had no explanation to offer for the retail prices staying high. Minister for food and civil supplies Haroon Yusuf said that his department had been inspecting markets but had only noticed prices coming down. ``I was not aware that there is such a discrepancy in prices. We will have to look into the matter in greater detail before taking any action,'' he said.
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