Currency swap surprise: Dip in vegetable prices

New Delhi: The city’s denizens were in for a surprise on Tuesday after the price of green vegetables was reduced further to the tune of Rs 7 to Rs 10 in the city market.

The spiralling effect of demonetisation was clearly seen in the vegetable wholesale and local market due to paucity of new currency where the vendors sold vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, potato and tomato at a much reduced price as compared to Monday in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR).

When this correspondent visited the local vegetable market in Delhi and NCR, the prices of cauliflower, capsicum, lady finger, and cabbage were found reduced from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 7 to Rs 12 per kg in the market. Owing to the paucity of new currency in the market and the chain of humans still queued to withdraw cash from ATMs, the market has already borne loss of over 60 per cent.

Till Monday, where the buyers were buying potatoes priced at Rs 20, on Tuesday it decreased further by Rs 5 and was sold at a price of Rs15 per kg. While the price for lady finger was slashed by Rs 7 and was sold at a new price of Rs 30 on Tuesday, capsicum, which was sold at Rs 75-Rs 80 per kg, was sold at Rs 40 to Rs 55. Among green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, considered as a seasonal vegetable, was even seen to be sold at a meagre cost of Rs 5 per kg in areas like Vasundhra.