Rourkela: The intense heat wave and a ‘hyperactive media’ are the two major factors for the increase in vegetable prices, farmers stated here Sunday. The vegetable sellers here, mostly tribals, have blamed the two issues for the spiralling cost of vegetables. “Availability of water is not an issue, because we have sufficient supply in our wells and water bodies.
However, the intense heatwave in the last couple of months has led to the rotting of vegetables,” said Mahidhar Sahu, a farmer from Khuntagaon, selling long gourd and other leafy vegetables. Sahu’s opinion was seconded by another vegetable seller from Bisra sitting next to him at the daily market in Shakti Nagar. “He (Sahu) is right. We have water, but it’s the heat that has destroyed the vegetables. I was providing water on the ground twice daily where I was cultivating padwal. Even then, I could only save half of my cultivation,” informed Giridhari Munda. Mano Xalxo, an agriculturist from OUAT and a successful farmer, however, blamed the media for the increase in prices of vegetables. “I will blame the media for the increase in prices. We were selling tomatoes, the indigenous variety for Rs 40-50 per kilogram.
Suddenly the media reported that the prices had gone up to Rs 70. They also said that it will soon touch Rs 100 per kilogram. Had they done a bit of research, then they would have reported in a proper manner,” he stated. Another media-savvy farmer who sells his produce at the Rajgangpur local market stated that the media only reports about prices in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. “The media needs to realise that there are other places in Odisha also.
Once they report about the prices at Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, locals here also increase the rates. And the middlemen make the maximum profits pinching the pockets of customers,” he said. Professor Sree Kumar however, blamed the price rise of vegetables due to the heatwave. “The farmers lost their crops due to the heat leading to a shortage of supply. It is the main reason for vegetable prices skyrocketing,” Kumar stated.