PUNE: Prices of vegetables are showing a steady increasing graph for the third consecutive week. After fuel-price hike in last week, the vegetable prices also increased by 10-20 per cent.   Prices of most vegetables including onion and garlic are stable at Rs 12-14 and Rs 86-90 per kg. However, potatoes showed a considerable hike from Rs 10-12 per kg last week to Rs 16-18 this week. Tomatoes are not exceptional as its prices rose from Rs 18-20 per kg last week to Rs 28-30 this week.   Thankfully, prices of   lady finger and gawar have reduced from Rs 42-46 and Rs 34-36 respectively last week to Rs 36-38 and Rs 28-30 per kg this week.   The prices of Cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal and beans are Rs 40-42, Rs 16-18, Rs 20-22 and Rs 26-28 per kg.   One has to pay Rs 14-16 for coriander and methi and Rs 6-8 minimum for a bunch of spinach. According to a whole trader of vegetables Vilas Bhujbal, the prices would remain stable for next few days.

PUNE: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India activists on Wednesday held a demonstration outside the Ruby Hall clinic urging people to turn to vegetarian or ‘Vegan’ to curb the spread of Influenza H1N1.   Dressed in nursing uniforms and a protester wearing a pig costume, volunteers held placards with the message ‘Prescription for swine flu: Go Vegan’ urging passers-by to be vegetarian to prevent viral diseases such as swine flu.   With concern growing in the city over swine flu virus, PETA India wants everyone to know that there’s one simple way to prevent such outbreaks before they occur: adopt a vegan diet.   A PETA communique said, animals on factory farms are crammed by the thousands into filthy, extremely crowded sheds, and they are slaughtered on killing floors that are contaminated with faeces, vomit and other bodily fluids.   These conditions have led to a rise in food borne pathogens such as E.