Tomato at Rs 100, carrot Rs 105, drumstick Rs 200; vegetable prices spiral out of control in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For a person who last visited the market a week back, the price of tomatoes was Rs 40-50 per kg. Visit today and take care not to let your eyes pop out in shock as the prices reached Rs 100 per kg. Carrots have gone from Rs 80 to Rs 100-105. Drumstick is priced at Rs 200 per kg.

The prices of most vegetables are soaring in Kerala's public markets. This is due to the high demand for vegetables during the Sabarimala season and crop damage due to the rains.

The price of lentils surged from Rs 100 to Rs 130. Brinjal is Rs 120. This was available at Rs 90 two weeks ago.

The prices of green chillies and ginger have also crossed the Rs 100 mark. Market intervention is not effective due to the dearth of government-run Horticorp stalls. Horticorp has also made a proportionate price increase in its products.

Most vegetables come from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Crop damage due to rain, a decrease in quantity arriving from other states, has also led to the price increase.