Vegetable price up as rains hit supply

While early monsoon rainfalls raised the prospects for kharif crops, vegetable prices have already spiked due to disruptions in supplies to consumption centres from major producing zones. Retail vendors have taken benefit of the situation by selling vegetables at double the purchase price, aggravating consumers' woes.

Prices of all frontline and leafy vegetables have risen sharply in the last two weeks. In the Vashi Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), stockists bought ladies finger or okra at Rs 40-46 a kg, a rise of 33 per cent in the last two weeks.

"Lower rainfall during the last monsoon season reduced the water table in major ladies finger producing centres in Maharashtra. Also, there was no pre-season rainfall this year. As a result, farmers could not sow seeds in April-May for harvesting in June-July. Consequently, supply has been very low in Vashi APMC," said Suresh Salunkhe, deputy secretary and head (vegetable section), Vashi APMC. "Even at reduced supply, arrivals of vehicles to mandis were low due to heavy rainfall and, thereby, road blockades."

Vendors in the close vicinity of Mumbai have been selling okra at Rs 120 a kg, almost three times the cost of purchase.

"What to do ?" asked Ram Gupta, a vegetable vendor in Worli, near Mumbai. "Over half of ladies finger we purchase gets spoiled in transit as it gets wet during transportation. The quantum of spoilage goes higher if the quality of ladies finger is low. We don't have any option but to sell at higher price considering the spoilage," added Gupta.

The worst-hit in the lot was ginger, which witnessed a sudden price spurt in the last two weeks. From the level of Rs 110 a kg, the spice used for adding flavour to vegetables and tea shot up to Rs 140 a kg before cooling off to Rs 115 on June 26.

Ginger production has been abysmally low in Karnataka, India's largest producing state. Because of lower price last year, farmers in the state shifted to other remunerative crops resulting in supply pressure. Fresh supplies from Satara (Maharashtra) and Assam are three weeks away. Prices are set to remain firm before the new quantity hits the market.

Cauliflower also followed suit with prices shooting up 42 per cent to Rs 20-24 a kg on Wednesday against Rs 14-20 a kg in the Vashi APMC market two weeks ago. Cabbage moved up 67 per cent to change hands at between Rs 10 and Rs 14 a kg versus Rs 6-8 a kg in the period under consideration.

Tomato has also moved up in tandem. According to Salunkhe, against the total demand of around 300 tonnes, the supply stood at just 160 tonnes. Adding to that is the spoilage, which kept market on a firm note, he added.

Leafy vegetables including coriander and palak, have also moved up proportionately.