After a sharp rise in Dec, vegetable prices moderate in Jan on availability

Prices of green vegetables started rising steadily since October but almost doubled in December on reports of flood-ravaged kharif crop damage in Maharashtra and delay in planting of rabi crop

After a sharp increase in December, vegetable prices moderated in January as arrivals increased from major cultivating states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.        

While announcing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which tracks retail price of commodities, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) had reported 60 per cent price increase of green vegetables in December. In January, however, retail prices of green vegetables have declined sharply.

The data compiled by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) under the Union Ministry of Agricultural showed okra prices declined by 33 per cent in retail to trade currently at Rs