The production of several winter vegetables, like cauliflower and cabbage, will continue to suffer, and brinjal is likely to be dearer in the months to come, senior officials of the state agriculture department said.

Reason — inundation caused by the rain accompanying Cyclone Dana.

Heavy rain since early Friday has flooded large tracts of farmlands across parts of North and South 24-Parganas, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore, and East Burdwan. This has dealt a severe blow to farmers who had begun sowing seeds or planting saplings for the winter vegetables.

Officials said as water levels start receding, most of these plants will start wilting, leaving a void in the domestic supply of winter vegetables.

“The saplings of cauliflower, cabbage and brinjal had been just planted across several vegetable-producing districts and we were expecting a good produce within a month and a half. But the heavy accumulation of rainwater across farmlands will hit the farmers hard,” said a senior official.

“The prices of cabbage and cauliflower are unlikely to come down over the next few months because of the shortage in supply.”

Cauliflower across several markets in the city sold between ₹60 and ₹80 a piece depending on the size. A few days back, the ones bigger sold for ₹40 a piece. Cabbages were few and far. Brinjals sold for ₹120 a kilo across several markets.

Over 1,000sqkm of farm tracts in south Bengal were flooded following incessant rains and subsequent release of water by the DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation) in September.

Friday’s rainfall was the last thing that farmers had wanted.

“Acres of farmlands across parts of Bongaon, Bagdah, Deganga and Haroa in North 24-Parganas have been left inundated. In most of these places, farmers had just sowed saplings for winter vegetables,” said Krishna Maity, a farmland owner in Bongaon.

“It will take a few weeks to prepare the soil again after the water recedes. We have no idea how to overcome the losses,” said Maity.

Farmers from parts of Bhangar and Bishnupur in South 24-Parganas shared the same concern.

Besides the two 24-Parganas, Friday’s downpour has flooded farmlandsacross parts of Kalna and Katwa in East Burdwan and stretches in Contai inEast Midnapore along with several tracts in Birbhum and Howrah.

“The green chilli plants had started flowering in pockets of North 24-Parganas and East Midnaporeand we were expecting production in another fewweeks. But these plants will die because of flooding,the second time within a month. The only hope is the produce from Haldibari in north Bengal,” the official said.

“This means Bengal will have to continue to depend on the supply of green chillies from Bengaluru as it is now doing,” he said.

On Saturday, chillies sold for ₹180-160 a kilo on Saturday in most of the markets in the city.

Onions now are mostly sourced from Bengaluru.

Bengal’s onions begin reaching the markets in February and the sowing begins around this time or a week and a half later.

Friday’s rains havemeant farmers sowing the onion seeds across parts of Hooghly, Murshidabadand East Burdwan wouldhave to wait for several weeks before they can beginonion cultivation due to inundation

“The price of onions has been fluctuating over the last few weeks between ₹65 and ₹55 a kilo. It’s now selling at ₹60 a kilo,” said BiswajitRoy, a vegetable seller in Bhowanipore’s Jadu Babu’s market.

“Potatoes sold for ₹32-35a kilo.”