HYDERABAD: People now find it difficult to purchase pulses and other essential commodities as retailers have suddenly put up signboards indicating higher prices than normal, due to the festive season.Customers wore a worried look with food inflation hitting the doubledigit mark at 10.05 per cent after a five-month break.Pulses and essential commodities like onions, fruits and vegetables have become more expensive this season.The rate of price rise of food items was over 10 per cent during the same month last year.Edible oil is priced at Rs. 95 per kg, meat at Rs. 320, tomato at Rs. 30, beans at Rs. 45, ribbed gourd at Rs. 32 and green chilies at Rs. 25 per kg.“Potatoes were sold at Rs. 15 per kg till last week and now it is Rs. 30.I expected the prices to go up due to the double-digit inflation and other local issues but these exhorbitant prices are unaffordable,” says Anjaneya Prasad, a regular Rythu Bazar customer.The price of cucumber has gone up from Rs. 13 per kg last month to Rs. 15.Prices of other vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes and even onions have increased.The price of lady’s finger has gone up from Rs. 22 per kg to Rs. 30 this week.The price of long beans has shot up to Rs. 45 per kg from Rs. 35 last week.Meanwhile, there has been a sudden rise in prices of meat and poultry.“I am not aware of the exact reason for sudden hike in the prices of meat and chicken but currently they are being sold at Rs. 320 per kg and Rs. 110 per kg,” said a worker at Ramreddy chicken centre at Balkampet.Apart from food inflation, local issues like truck strikes and heavy rains have added to soaring vegetable prices.A similar situation was witnessed in various retail shops in the twin cities on Thursday.S Samanna, a vegetable farmer and seller at Erragadda Rythu Bazar said vegetables coming from neighbouring Andhra and Rayalaseema regions is 50 per cent higher than the original price as transport was halted completely due to recent heavy rains.
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