The residents of Chandigarh are feeling the pinch of the astronomical surge in the price of lemons which has severely affected their kitchen budget. The price of lemons in the UT on April 25 stood at Rs 280 per kilo, burning a hole in the pockets of customers.
A host of factors such as unfavourable weather conditions, increasing fuel prices and supply shortages have triggered the hike in lemon prices in Chandigarh. The mandi supervisor in Chandigarh has attributed the surge in costs to the increasing transport costs and unfriendly weather conditions, which is putting a burden on the budget of consumers.
The price of lemons was around Rs 120 per kilo in the last week of March and by the first week of April, it had soared to Rs 240 per kilo. The prices continued to swell thereafter, and by April 10, the price of lemons hovered in the range of Rs 250 to Rs 300 per kilo in the market.
CONSUMERS COMPROMISE ON LIKING
The hike in lemon prices in the UT has forced consumers to compromise on their liking and they now have to buy vegetables that are affordable in the market.
Gurminder Singh, mandi supervisor, was quoted by the Indian Express as saying, “Fruits and vegetables in the UT are transported from other areas as there is no local production. The high transportation costs and unfriendly weather conditions have driven the surge, which ultimately affects the life of consumers. Since fruits and vegetables are perishable items, they cannot be stocked for a longer period of time as they get spoiled in a short period of time.” (sic)
Meanwhile, the prices of other vegetables such as tomato and ladyfinger have also shot up, leading to a drop in their sales and popularity among the residents. This has given rise to unhealthy sales following lower earnings, as per a vegetable vendor.
