New Delhi, November 1: There has been a steep rise in average retail prices of potatoes, onions and other essential commodities over the past one year. The average retail price of potatoes has gone up by 92 percent in past one year. Similarly, onion retail prices have increased 44 percent during the period. Since retail prices went up, wholesale rates also surged, affecting the common man's budget. Onion Seeds' Export Banned With Immediate Effect, Says Government.

The average wholesale prices of potatoes have gone up by 108 percent in the past one year from Rs 1,739 per quintal to Rs 3,633 per quintal, according to a report by Times of India which analysed data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The report added that the wholesale price of onions as on Saturday was Rs 5,645 per quintal compared to Rs 1,739 a year ago, a jump of 47 percent. Onion Price Update: Goa Govt to Sell Onions to Ration Card Holders at Rs 32 Per Kg.

Wholesale prices of pulses have also gone up significantly in the past year. Urad dal was being sold for Rs 83.6 per kilogram in October 2019. Now, it is sold for Rs 106.5 per kg, an increase of 27.4 percent. Over the past 12 months, there has been an increase of 24 and 23 percent in wholesale prices of Arhar dal and Masoor dal respectively.

"Price of almost all vegetables has increased, especially that of onion. At one point onion was Rs 250 per kilogram. We were expecting the price to fall but it is still around Rs100 rupees per kilogram. It has become unaffordable. The monthly budget for vegetables has doubled from before lockdown. We have to eat, but we are rationing. We have let go of several vegetables from our plate as we can't afford to buy them," Vishal, a customer in Mumbai, told news agency ANI.

Kadambari who buys her weekly supply of vegetables from Swatantryaveer Savarkar Bhaji Market told ANI that due to inflated prices, her monthly budget has been affected adversely. "The vegetables are getting costlier per day at a time when most people lost their jobs due to lockdown. I'm still working and yet it is getting unmanageable. Onion is an essential commodity and it is around Rs 100-Rs 120 per kilogram. The monthly budget of the family is collapsing," she said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 01, 2020 11:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).