Mumbai: It’s raining good news. Thanks to the monsoon, the prices of most vegetable in the city have dipped by Rs 10-20 per kg over the past few weeks, bringing more food to Mumbaikars’ plates. But potatoes and onions are still pricey, as are pulses and sugar.
    Vegetable trader Yudishtir Chaurasia said, “Due to heavy rains, hoarders don’t find it feasible to stock vegetables and release more of them in the retail market, generating higher supply, which pushes down prices.’’
    Barring potatoes and onions, veggies like cauliflower, lady’s finger, cabbage and capsicum are now cheaper than before.
    However, pulses—especially moong dal—and sugar remain expensive. Dealers blame the moong dal crop, which was destroyed some time back, for this and say their rates will remain high, as will sugar prices—likely to go up by Rs 3 per kg.
    Bombay Sugar Merchants Association president Ashok Jain claimed sugar-factory cartels had fixed a higher minimum price.Jain said the wholesale price of sugar was earlier Rs 2,350-Rs 2,600 per quintal,and the retail price Rs 30 per kg. But with the recent increase in ex-factory prices to Rs 2,900 per quintal, retail prices will also shoot up.