Mangaluru vegetable prices have risen sharply ahead of Deepavali, with beans doubling to ₹120 a kg and ginger increasing from ₹80 to ₹160 in a week, adding to household shopping costs across the city. Traders have also reported higher prices for several fruits and spices as festival demand increases and supplies from key growing regions remain affected by lower-than-usual rainfall.
At Mangaluru’s central market, good-quality onions are selling at ₹60 to ₹70 a kg, while garlic is priced at ₹200 to ₹240 a kg. Retail prices for garlic are higher than the rates recorded in the central market. Traders said the prices of drumstick, ridge gourd, ivy gourd, okra and chillies have also increased this week.
Among the vegetables being sold in the market, tomatoes are priced at ₹30 a kg, bitter gourd at ₹80, green brinjal at ₹80, ghat brinjal at ₹60, cucumber at ₹70, cowpea at ₹120, ridge gourd at ₹100, beetroot at ₹60, beans at ₹120, cauliflower at ₹60 and cabbage at ₹40. Drumstick is priced at ₹160, ivy gourd at ₹60, thorny gourd at ₹240, white pumpkin at ₹80 and local okra at ₹160 a kg.
Capsicum is selling at ₹120 a kg, regular chilli at ₹80, hot chilli at ₹120, carrot at ₹80, local bottle gourd at ₹80 and ghat bottle gourd at ₹60. Sweet potato is priced at ₹60, while potatoes are being sold at ₹50 for 2 kg. Ash gourd is priced at ₹40 and cassava at ₹50. Among leafy vegetables, red amaranth costs ₹30 a bunch, fenugreek ₹40, spinach ₹30 and Malabar spinach ₹60. Curry leaves are priced at ₹60 a kg and coriander leaves at ₹200 a kg.
Fruit prices have also increased. Mangoes are selling at ₹200 a kg, apples at ₹150, dragon fruit at ₹160, pomegranates at ₹220, sweet lime at ₹50, oranges at ₹60, guava at ₹100 and lychees at ₹300. Black grapes cost ₹100, custard apples ₹180, sapota ₹70, pineapple ₹70, watermelon ₹35, persimmon ₹280 and wood apple ₹300 a kg.
Banana prices vary by variety. Mysore bananas are priced at ₹80 a kg, Kadali bananas at ₹120, Robusta at ₹60, small Elakki bananas at ₹80, large Elakki bananas at ₹100 and Elakki bananas at ₹130. Traders attributed the increased demand to Deepavali and other religious programmes. Mangaluru receives much of its vegetable supply from Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Bengaluru. Trader Mohammed Irfan said yields in these regions had declined because they received less rainfall than usual, contributing to the price rise.
Spice prices have also recorded increases. Cinnamon, pepper and cardamom have become costlier, while some reduction has been reported in the prices of dried chillies and cumin. Quality tamarind is selling at ₹180 a kg, pepper at ₹820 and cardamom at ₹4,500. Byadagi chillies are priced at ₹380 to ₹480, Kashmiri chillies at ₹750 to ₹850, Guntur chillies at ₹320 and Gidda chillies at ₹400 a kg.
Rice and pulses have not seen major changes, according to the market rates reported. Sona Masuri rice is priced at ₹80 to ₹90 a kg, boiled rice at ₹55 to ₹75 and red rice at ₹65 to ₹75. Pigeon peas cost ₹125 to ₹165, urad dal ₹125 to ₹155, Bengal gram ₹105 to ₹115, red gram ₹80 to ₹105 and another variety of Bengal gram ₹90 to ₹115 a kg. The reported prices are expected to remain central to festival household purchases as Deepavali approaches.
