Vegetable supplies decline, prices rise

Prices increase 6-7% in Mumbai region in a week as supply dips by a tenth in recent days

With lower rainfall this season, vegetable supply has started showing a gloomy picture. Supply has declined by a tenth in recent days at Navi Mumbai’s Vashi Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards; also prices are up six to seven per cent in a week.

Against the normal supply of 1,800 tonnes, equivalent to total consumption in Mumbai and surrounding regions, it has been 1,600 tonnes in the past three days. This has led to a rise in prices of most  vegetables by Rs 2-4 a kg since Monday. The scene is not different in most major mandis, say experts here.

The Nashik and Pune agricultural belts account for up to 80 per cent of vegetable supply to APMCs here; the rest comes from other states. The latter has been interrupted, with each state focusing on first satisfying local supply

“The scenario is going to worsen in the coming weeks in case the monsoon continues to remain erratic or distribution of rainfalls goes uneven. Vegetable prices will shoot up,” said a senior official of the Vashi APMC.

“Farmers are anxiously awaiting rainfall, already delayed by over two weeks. In case of further delay and deficiency, vegetable supply will reduce steeply,” said Sanjay Bhujbal, a stockist at Vashi.

With four per cent weightage in the wholesale price index (WPI), fruits and vegetables played spoilsport in May, with the rate of inflation hitting a nine-month high of 6.01 per cent, against 5.20 per cent in April. The government of Maharashtra has cut water supply connections from dams and rivers to vegetable farmers in the past 10 days, to divert water for drinking purposes. As a result, harvesting is being delayed of summer-sown vegetable crops. Nor will there be sowing of fresh crops in rain-fed areas until the monsoon rainfall resumes.