Kolkata: Price of vegetables and chicken has been spiked in markets across the city following lockdown to prevent the spread of Coronavirus on Tuesday. Consumers felt a pinch in their pockets as the price of most of the vegetables shot up by Rs 20 to Rs 30. "Today (March 24, 2020) I bought ridge gourd for Rs 60 a kg and cucumber at Rs 50 a kg from a market in my locality. Price of all the vegetables are skyrocketing," said Nazrul Haque, a resident of Bright Street. The vegetable-sellers in the local markets claimed that the sudden rise is due to rise in the price of vegetables at Sealdah Market, the wholesale market where retailers buy their stocks. "We buy vegetables from Sealdah Market and sell them in the local market. Today (Tuesday), the cost of most of the vegetables in Sealdah market was higher by at least Rs 20," said a vegetable-seller in Bright Street. Chicken, which was priced between Rs 60 and Rs 80 on Monday depending upon the locality, shot up to Rs 160 on Tuesday. "Today, poultry federation has hiked the rate of one kg chicken by Rs 10, which has resulted in the hike in price. We sell chicken to the retailers. At present, we are selling chicken at Rs 90 to the retailers," said Md Shoaib Khan, a chicken wholesaler in Park Circus. He reiterated that the rise in the price of chicken is due to increase in demand and short supply. "Due to lockdown in the state due to Coronavirus outbreak, most of the poultry firms are breeding chicken. That is why there is shortage of chicken," Khan pointed out. Kolkata and several areas across Bengal have been put under a lockdown from Monday 5 pm till March 31 in view of the Coronavirus outbreak and only essential services will be allowed during the period.

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