Mangaluru: From ingredients used to prepare festive sweets to vegetables and flowers bought for celebrations, rising prices are adding to the cost of Dasara shopping in Mangaluru.Krishna Prasad, a sweets seller in Alake, said higher input costs make it difficult for small manufacturers to keep prices affordable. Maida, groundnut and ghee have become costlier, he said, adding that sugar was selling at around Rs 50-55 per kg.“Prices are high, and it is difficult for those making sweets as well as for customers who want them at lower prices,” he said.Abdul Rahiman Kodijal, general secretary of the Mangalore Merchants’ Association, said several vegetable and grocery item prices were higher than during Ganesh Chaturthi.Kodijal said markets appeared quieter than in previous years, with fewer customers and lower purchasing activity.He attributed the trend to weak purchasing power and said that business had slowed in wholesale and retail markets, including the arecanut and coconut trade.Thomas Lobo, a fruit and vegetable vendor, said the rise in prices compared with last year is largely due to weak rainfall and a decline in local vegetable cultivation.He said locally grown vegetables were arriving mainly from Merlapadavu and Bajpe, with supplies from other areas limited.“Those who can afford it are buying, but many who would earlier buy four items are now buying only two,” Lobo said.Another vendor said transportation costs were adding to the burden, but the weak monsoon was the bigger concern, affecting prices.Flower prices have also risen, merchant Nissar said prices had increased mainly because of the weak monsoon, but maintained that people were continuing to buy flowers and that there was no significant decline in demand.Merchant Nagaraj estimated that flower prices had risen by around 40-50% compared with last year.BOX:“Overall festive demand remains strong, and there is no sign of consumer pullback due to fuel prices or the war. FMCG, essential commodities and spices are seeing good volumes, though margins are under pressure from rising input costs and competition. Garments are the exception, with weak footfall since late-May as online discounting draws customers away from stores. Prices have risen for rice, sugar, cooking oil (due to deficient rainfall) and for electronics and white goods (due to semiconductor and currency costs), but this reflects supply-side pressures, not weaker consumer sentiment.” -Divakar Pai Kochikar,president, Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry.BOX 1: VEGETABLE PRICES (Rs/kg)Tomato–35Double beans–110Brinjal–50Ridge gourd–70Cauliflower–70Cabbage–38Cucumber–50Ivy gourd–65Ladies’ finger–70Bottle gourd–50Onion–70Lemon–250Coconut–80Source: DK and Udupi HopcomsBOX 2: FRUIT PRICES (Rs/kg)Apple (Himachal)–250Apple (Gala)–300Orange–120Papaya–65Guava–150Sapota–70Pomegranate–240Pineapple–90Source: DK and Udupi HopcomsBOX 3: FLOWER PRICESKakda mallige–Rs 1,400-1,500/kgButton rose–Rs 480-500/kgArali (rose bay)–Rs 600-700/kgSevantige (Chrysanthemum)-Rs 450-500/ kgLotus–Rs 50-70 per pieceSource: Flower merchants Car Street
