Bengaluru: Poor rains and sowing, festive demand drive up prices of vegetables

Updated - August 20, 2026 02:11 pm IST - Bengaluru

A view of K.R. Market in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

With the festival season set to start with Varamahalakshmi on Friday (August 21) followed by Ganesh Chathurti, accompanied by deficit rain and a decrease in sowing percentage, vegetable prices in different markets of the city have increased.

Gangadhariah, a vegetable trader at Kalasipalya vegetable market in Bengaluru, said, “Traders buy vegetables from here in large quantities and sell them in bigger markets like Shivajinagar, Yeshwantpur, Gandhi Bazaar, K.R. Market, Madiwala and others. Last week, the price of onion per kg in the wholesale market ranged somewhere between ₹17 and ₹28 depending on the quality and size. Now, it has increased to ₹32-35 depending on the quality. In retail, it will be ₹50 to 55 per kg, and first-grade ones have gone up to ₹60 per kg.”

He added, “Since onion is used as an ingredient in most of the dishes prepared at home, the demand is high. In addition, less rainfall and less stock in the market has lead to price surge during festival season. We usually depend on Maharashtra for onions and this year, we will to have purchase more than the expected load that arrives every year.”

Vishwanath Patil, president of Jai Kisan Wholesale Vegetable Market in Belagavi, noted that if it continues to rain, it is good for farmers but bad for the traders. “We purchase onions and tomatoes from Maharashtra and Chitradurga respectively. However, if it rains, half of the stock will get wet and rot away in crates even before it reaches us. In such a case too, the prices of these vegetables will increase, impacting the consumers,” said Mr. Patil.

Meanwhile, Valliammal, a vegetable vendor in Vasanth Nagar, also highlighted that the retail prices of vegetables have started increasing from the past two days owing to the upcoming festival.

She said, “People think that vegetable vendors earn well by charging more for vegetables. But on festivals, we do not earn a profit of even ₹100 because the prices at wholesale markets or APMC mandis are also high. On normal days, after deducting expenses, we easily gain profits of ₹200-400 per day.”

Quoting the prices of vegetables, she said, “At present, the price of onion is ₹50-55 per kg depending on the size and quality. Last week, it was ₹40 per kg. Tomatoes, which were ₹30-35 are priced at ₹40-45 per kg, while bajji chilli is ₹70 per kg and will increase up to ₹80-90 per kg on Thursday and Friday. Green chilli, which was ₹60 per kg, has increased up to ₹80 per kg. Beans is ₹90 per kg and carrot has increased from ₹70-88 per kg. This year, because of deficient rain, high demand and low stock in wholesale markets, the prices have surged.”

Published - August 19, 2026 10:17 pm IST

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