Vegetable prices shoot up

HYDERABAD: The RTC strike has had its impact on prices of vegetables too. In the twin cities, the supply of vegetables to the Rythu Bazars has come down by about 20 per cent. “Farmers, who bring vegetables everyday to the Rythu Bazars, are finding it difficult to come due to the strike. Several have stopped coming,” said KV Vijay Kumar, estate officer of the Erragadda Rythu Bazar.He said the number of visitors to the Rythu Bazars has also dropped by 20 per cent. He explained that prices have gone up because the farmers are forced to shell out more for transport. Komaraiah, a farmer and vegetable vendor at Nagireddygudem village, Ranga Reddy district, said, “I used to get the vegetables on a bus generally, but for the past two days, I had to hire small lorries or trolleys. When I bring the vegetables by trolley, I have to pay 75 per cent extra.”  He said he would charge a bit extra than the normal price to make up for the additional burden.PS Padmavathi, owner of a seed fertiliser stall at the Bazar, said, “Our general collection is about `2,000 per day, but for the last two weeks due to general strike, the collection has come down to `300 per day. During the last two days, the collection was just `150 per day.”