Bhubaneswar: Prices of almost all vegetables have shot through the roof in the past one week, burning a hole in the family budgets.
Brinjal, lady’s finger, beans, spike gourd and drumsticks are selling above Rs 100 per kg, while most others are costing between Rs 50 and Rs 90 per kg.

Vegetable vendors attributed the price surge to the disruption in production and supply chains caused by a period of severe heat followed by heavy rain.
“It is becoming impossible to manage our household expenses. Prices of vegetables have doubled in a matter of weeks. We have to cut down on consumption and looking for alternatives. How can we afford brinjal at Rs 100 per kg and beans at Rs 160 per kg?” asked Priyanka Panigrahi, a homemaker.
Vendors, too, are feeling the pinch as they are caught between paying higher prices to wholesalers and the lack of customers.
“We are not making any profit. Suppliers have increased prices due to damaged crops and disrupted supply chain. We understand the plight of customers but we have to sustain our business as well,” Ramesh Swain, a vegetable vendor at the Unit I wholesale market.
In response to the crisis, food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra visited the Unit I market on Tuesday to assess the supply and demand situation. He interacted with both vendors and consumers to understand their grievances and concerns.
“We are aware of the difficulties faced by consumers and vendors alike. But the reason for skyrocketing prices is not clear as there is no flooding in Odisha yet. If any vendor is trying to make profit by increasing prices, then exemplary action will be taken against them. Our staff visited various wholesale markets to take stock of the situation and to find out the reason behind the price rise,” Patra said.
Changing weather conditions have significantly impacted the production of vegetables. An intense heat wave followed by heavy rain have damaged crops, reducing yield and also affecting supply of vegetables from other states. This has created a supply crunch, leading to the rise in prices.

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