Soaring vegetable prices leave a bitter taste

HYDERABAD: Pasumarthi Sangeeta (36), wife of a smal l - t ime employe e Rambabu is struggling to make ends meet with vegetable prices going up steeply. Similar is the case with B Jayasree, wife of a private employee who laments that vegetables are becoming as expensive as poultry.The northward movement of vegetable prices, which started two months ago, has been going on without any relief and sending the monthly budgets of middle class and poor families for a toss.These people are now finding it difficult to lead normal lives. Lack of rain and insufficient tank and groundwater for cultivation during kharif has resulted in a drastic fall in crop yield. The consequent short supply of vegetables has pushed up prices steeply. The only relief is the decrease in the prices of onions and tomatoes. According to agriculture officials, during kharif the area of cultivation of vegetables has been increased from 1.40 lakh hectares to 2.21 lakh hectares.However, due to dry spell crops in about 60,000 acres have dried up.With farmers reportedly not showing interest to cultivate vegetables in the Rabi season, prices are likely to go up further.