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High vegetable prices cause grief for vendors and consumers
The prices of vegetables that increased at the end of last year are still soaring, as vendors received a limited vegetable supply.
No buyers for this vendor
Even though the prices were high the quality of the vegetables were not good, the vegetable vendors complained. They said the price increase was due to adverse weather affecting the crops and harvested vegetables.
The retail price for a kilo of carrot had reached Rs 400, while the price of a small carrot variety is Rs 200 per kilo.
The price of beetroot is Rs 160 per kilo, while cabbages and brinjals were sold at Rs. 150 per kilo. Local red onions and potatoes were sold for Rs. 850 per kilo and Rs. 100 per kilo, respectively.
Leeks were sold at Rs 360 per kilo. The price of green beans had increased from Rs 320 per kilo to Rs 360.. Green chilies and capsicum were sold at Rs. 500 per kilo and Rs. 380 per kilo, respectively.
Many consumers at Pettah market reacted angrily at the prices and said they could only afford to buy a small quantity of vegetables.
Sixty-three year old Mohomed Rauf Kareema said she only bought some green leaves for Rs. 20. She said she could not even buy 250g of beans for Rs 100, like she did before because of the high price.
Pettah Market: Consumers have reduced the quantities they buy. Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
“Usually vegetables prices at the Pettah market are low, but it seems like the prices have increased,” she lamented.
Ms Kareema, a ministry minor staff employee, said she found it difficult to buy food for her family as she could not afford the current prices.
Yamuna Perera, a Rajagriya resident and a school employee said she is forced to buy vegetables despite the high prices because she had no other options. But she cannot buy the same amount of vegetables she bought a year ago.
Mohomad Rosah, a Kelaniya resident said, despite the high prices the quality of vegetables has decreased.
The vegetable vendors said their business has dropped due to the increased prices.
Thirty-two year old Krishanan Kanakaraja, who had sold vegetables at the Pettah market for eight years, said this year started badly for business, as he had sold less vegetables than usual.
“How can we increase the prices when we know our consumers cannot afford those prices,” he asked.
Udeni Damayanthi Perera, who sells imported red onions, said only locally grown vegetables had been affected by the price increase. Ms Perera said the government should take action to control prices.
