By IANS
Jaipur : Prices of vegetables and fruits have soared in Rajasthan after a steep drop in supplies from Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi following the blockading of highways by Gujjars, traders said Saturday.
With vegetable and fruit arrivals reducing by half, prices have gone up by 20-30 percent in recent days.
Potatoes, which come from Uttar Pradesh, are the worst hit.
"Earlier potatoes sold for Rs.250-280 per 40 kg. Now they are being sold at Rs.325-350," said Radheyshyam Fatak, president of the Rajasthan Fruits and Vegetables Wholesale Association.
Similarly, ginger, garlic and onion prices have also gone up by Rs.10-15 per kg and prices of green vegetables are up by over Rs.4-7 per kg.
Jaipur is getting only 60 percent of the normal vegetable and fruit supply from nearby areas ever since the Gujjars began to block important highways in support of their demand for tribal status.
Normally, over 100 vegetable trucks enter the city but the number has now reduced to only 40 to 50 trucks. Traders at the Lal Kothi wholesale vegetable market say that they are facing daily loses of about Rs.12.5 million.
"The situation is becoming worse. We can't even store vegetable and fruits because they are perishable items. The matter should be immediately resolved," said Amit Sharma, a Jaipur resident and a bank employee.