Amid coronavirus outbreak, on Thursday the prices of vegetables soared to Rs 100 per kg after people started stocking up daily essentials.
According to reports, vegetable vendors were selling tomatoes for Rs 80-100 per kg. While cauliflower was being sold at Rs 100 per kg. This came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown.
Earlier on March 23, wholesale market in Vashi APMC had announced that the market will remain shut till March 31, but now reports suggest that APMC market will reopen on Saturday.
Many traders complained that there is enough stock lying in the godowns, but the shortage of staff and lack of transportation is posing as a big challenge during this time.
Maharashtra government has ruled out closure of grain and vegetable markets, which are high up in the list of essential services that are exempted from any lockdown or curfew.
On Thursday, the total tally of coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra reached 124 on Thursday after two new cases of the infection were reported in Thane and Mumbai respectively.
The government has ordered a state-wide lockdown for the next 21 days, after calling the measures to be in place till March 31, keeping in tandem with the directives by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday.
Essential services like food items, vegetables, fruits, grocery and bakery items are exempted from lockdown and the vendors can provide home deliveries. The state government, meanwhile, has permitted the printing and distribution of newspapers from April 1. The newspaper services were halted after the state government announced lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
(Inputs from Agencies)
