City Faces Summer Price Surge as Essentials Turn Costlier

Prices of essential summer commodities have risen sharply in the city due to supply shortages, weak harvests, and inflationary pressures linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Consumers are also dealing with delays in basic services. Cooking gas cylinders are being delivered up to 10 days after booking in some areas. Prices of mobile phones and television sets have increased by up to 20 per cent.

The impact is most visible in seasonal goods used during the summer. Lemon prices, earlier at ₹70–₹80 per kg, have climbed to nearly ₹180 per kg in retail markets.

Traders say reduced arrivals from key producing regions have led to the shortage. “Yellow lemons have almost disappeared. What is coming now are small green ones with very little juice,” said a local vendor. He added that supplies are mainly coming from Guduru near Nellore and Sattenapalli in Guntur district, where output has been affected this season.

Tender coconut prices have also risen. “We used to sell at ₹30 per coconut, but now it is ₹50. Bigger ones go up to ₹70,” said a vendor. Coconut water, which earlier cost ₹100–₹120 per litre, now sells for around ₹140. Vendors say farmers receive only a small share of the final price, while intermediaries take most of the margin.

Palm fruits (thati munjalu), a popular summer item, have also become costlier. A dozen, which earlier sold for around ₹40 in local markets, now costs ₹80–₹100 along highways.

With no fixed pricing system for several seasonal goods, traders are revising rates based on supply and demand, leaving consumers to cope with higher summer expenses.