New Delhi: Wholesale prices of vegetables
like potato and onion have increased by 11 per cent in the
last one year in the country due to drought and floods,
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar informed Parliament today.
Fruits too, become expensive by 5.8 per cent, said Pawar
while submitting the wholesale price analysis report on
vegetables and fruits for 12 months till October 2009.
"It is true that prices of vegetables and fruits have
increased in the recent past," the minister said in a written
reply to Lok Sabha.
Potato prices have surged by 96.4 per cent, onion by 37.6
per cent, brinjal by 17 per cent and tomato by 4.3 per cent
till October from previous year, he noted.
Among fruits, apple prices have soared by 20 per cent,
grapes by 12.7 per cent, orange by 7.3 per cent and banana by
4.6 per cent in the review period, he added.
"Prices of potatoes, onion and other vegetables have
registered an increased on account of lower production due to
deficiency in monsoon rainfall, damage due to heavy rains and
blight disease," Pawar said.
However, the government is providing assistance via
various programmes to farmers to raise production and set up
terminal markets to ensure adequate supply to consumers at
reasonable prices, he added.
At present, potato prices are ruling at Rs 16-20 a kg,
while onion is Rs 15-20 a kg in different wholesale markets
across the country, according to official data.
-PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 01, 2009, 23:44