Navratri lifts demand for fasting vegetables in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; okra and sweet potato at ₹80 a kilo

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Demand for the vegetables used in Navratri fasting meals has risen in the city since the festival began. Purchases of okra, red pumpkin, chakri, sweet potato, raw banana, groundnut pods and water chestnut have gone up, and prices remain fairly affordable. Retail markets across the city, including Aurangpura, Shahaganj, TV Centre and Mukundwadi, are stocked with them.

On Sunday, October 11, okra and sweet potato were selling at ₹80 a kilo in retail markets, raw bananas at ₹60 a dozen, groundnut pods at ₹50 to ₹60 a kilo and chakri at ₹80 a kilo. Water chestnut cost about ₹200 a kilo. Arrivals are good but slightly short of demand, said vegetable seller Sanjay Waghmare of Aurangpura.

Some everyday vegetables have become dearer. Tomatoes have risen from ₹30-40 to ₹50 a kilo and brinjal from ₹40 to ₹60, while carrot, bitter gourd, green chilli and capsicum have gone up from ₹60 to ₹80. Drumsticks sell at ₹100 a kilo and kantole (spiny gourd) at ₹200 to ₹240. Lemons and ginger cost ₹150 to ₹240 a kilo, and garlic has reached ₹250 to ₹400.

Leafy vegetables, however, are arriving in plenty and remain cheap: a bunch of fenugreek costs ₹20, and coriander, chuka, dill and spinach ₹15 a bunch. Potatoes sell at ₹25 to ₹30 a kilo, onions at ₹60 to ₹70 and pumpkin at ₹40. Still, the rise in demand for fasting vegetables has added to shoppers' bills during Navratri.

Source: Esakal