Vegetable prices up on higher spoilage; tomatoes treble in Mumbai

Dry spell, frequent climatic changes take toll on produce; okra, bitter gourd soar in major markets

After moving in a narrow range for several weeks, green vegetables have started firming up in spot Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) yards because of the long dry spell and frequent changes in weather, resulting in high spoilage. 

Data compiled by the government-owned Agmarknet showed okra (bhindi) in the Ahmedabad APMC jumped 80 per cent over the past month to trade currently at Rs 45 a kg; at the Bengaluru wholesale market, it doubled to Rs 28 a kg. The same vegetable in Mumbai and Kolkata, however, rose only 11 per cent and 8 per cent, to trade at Rs