Bhubaneswar: Tomatoes have gone off the menu in the capital after its price crossed Rs 100 per kg mark. Not only tomato but prices of most green vegetables are now beyond the reach of common people. Except papaya and pumpkin, other vegetables now cost above Rs 80 per kg. “Consumers are buying less and some are opting for cheaper alternatives or skipping vegetables altogether.I sold hardly 5 kg of tomatoes since morning as people are turning away after hearing the price,” said Basant Sahu, a tomato vendor at Unit-1 market.
The surge in prices is being attributed to several factors, including prolonged heatwave, lack of rain and increase in demand and drop in supply. Farmers are grappling with crop failures and consumers are feeling the pinch.

Anita Mishra, a homemaker and mother of two, shared her frustration, “Earlier, I could buy enough vegetables for the entire week with Rs 300. Now, even Rs 500 is not enough. We have had to cut down on our vegetable intake and look for cheaper options like potato, which is also selling at Rs 35 per kg. It’s affecting diet and health. Prices of other staples like onion, potato, green chillies and coriander, too, have increased significantly.”
The middle and lower-income families have been hit the hardest. The rise in vegetable costs caps the rise in prices of other essential commodities such as cooking oil, rice, pulses and grain.
“Bad weather had an impact on the prices of vegetables as the perishable items got damaged in severe heat and sultry weather. Crops were damaged in the field for lack of rain. Supply from other states have also been affected. The situation is likely to get grimmer in the coming days as production will be affected because of the monsoon,” said Kabiraj Swain, secretary of Unit-I green vegetables vendors’ association.
“Amidst the price rise, consumers expect intervention from the state govt to provide much-needed relief. There should be some mechanism to deal with the exorbitant rise in prices,” said PK Mishra, a senior citizen.

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