As demand increases in summer and fuel prices go up, a single lemon costs Rs 10!

New Delhi: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, so goes the saying! But what can you do when procuring lemon itself becomes a task? Hike in fuel prices has left vegetable prices soaring and lemon especially has become a pricey commodity. 

With the arrival of the summer season, the prices of lemons have skyrocketed over the past week and a single lemon is being sold at Rs 10 in Hyderabad city. Vendors expressed their concerns over the rising price of lemon saying that consumers are not ready to purchase the citrus fruit at such a higher price."The prices have gone really high. Earlier, we used to purchase a whole lemon sack for Rs 700 which now costs Rs 3,500. We are selling a single lemon for Rs 10 and nobody is ready to buy it. Nobody is ready to accept that the prices have gone up and are leaving without the purchase of the lemons," Venkatesh roadside vendor told ANI.

Lakshmi, another retailer, said that she is buying a whole bag of lemons at Rs 3,000 at present."I have bought the whole bag for Rs 3,000 and selling a dozen for Rs 120 but nobody is ready to buy. The green lemons can be sold even after two days but the yellow ones need to be sold right away as they rot. Nobody is buying lemon at such a higher price," said Lakshmi.

Customers say that rising costs are burning a hole in their pockets. "The prices are very high. I bought a dozen of lemons for Rs 120. Earlier, I used to purchase them for Rs 20. The prices are increasing due to the summer season," said Tarannum, a customer.

Meanwhile, even in Gujarat's Surat, lemon prices have seen a hike due to shortage in supply and high demands during summer. "The price of lemon has increased extensively because of the huge damage to lemon plants during cyclone last year in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat," said a vegetable wholesaler.

In Uttarakhand, due to the increase in fuel prices in Haridwar, vegetables and fruits become expensive "The prices of almost all vegetables have increased, lemon is being sold at Rs 200-250 per kg and gourd is selling at Rs 30-35 per kg in the mandi," said a vegetable seller.

Vegetable prices in Delhi and adjoining areas have shot up due to an increase in the transportation cost as a result of the fuel price hike, leaving the customers as well as the sellers struggling. "Tomatoes are now being sold for Rs 40 per kg whereas earlier, the price was between Rs 25 and Rs 30. Bottle gourd is now being sold for Rs 40 per kg. Even the price of potatoes has gone up. It is now available for Rs 25 per kg. Earlier, it used to be sold for Rs 10 per kg," Dharmendra Singh, a vegetable vendor in Lajpat Nagar.

"We no longer give green chilies to customers for free. Lemon is available in the market for Rs 350 per kg, which means you would not even get one for Rs 10. Capsicum is Rs 100 per kg. Then the customers bargain. They know that the prices have gone up, but still they ask for chilies for free," Akhilesh, another vendor, said.

 

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