Veggie prices fall on higher stock, low export

Vegetable prices dipped 67 per cent in the past three weeks as abundant supplies of fresh stock arrived from all corners of the country and consumer demand declined in small towns.

Leafy vegetables have recorded a drastic slump, with methi (fenugreek) and spinach plunging 64-67 per cent and 29-33 per cent, respectively. Other vegetables in this category, too, followed suit.

Avinash Patil, deputy secretary and head (vegetable section) of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), attributed the fall to the shortened harvesting period due to the long spell of rainfall during the last monsoon season.

Usually, the harvesting season used to be spread over 45-50 days, compared with just 30 days this year.

“Farmers had to harvest all their crops during just one month of harvesting season in January, resulting in substantial increase in arrivals in mandis. Overall, daily arrivals have been recorded at 500 vehicles accumulating around 2,900 tonnes this season against 400 vehicles weighing around 2,200 tonnes in the previous seasons,” said Patil.

Also, consumer demand from small towns near villages has waned considerably, thanks to harvesting of individual farmers in small planting areas. In villages, particularly, consumers do not go out for vegetable shopping in the harvest season until their own crop exhausts.

Surprisingly, ladies’ fingers remained largely resilient with prices just supporting the overall sentiment of the market, showing a decline of 13-18 per cent. This fall is due to the decline in demand from the West and West Asia, which are major markets for India’s ladies’ fingers, where consumers stayed away from its extensive use due to a record-breaking cold season.

“New export orders have dried up. Exporters are currently executing old orders that were booked on high (prices),” said Samir Inamdar, a stockist of ladyfinger in Vashi.

Inamdar, however, is hopeful of a rebound in export demand by the end of February. Gradual reduction in cold in these regions, especially in the UK and West Asia, would bring importers on track with the flow of new orders.

Traders in Vashi APMC are confident of ladies’ fingers prices skyrocketing this year due to lower output.

Ramesh Hiwale, a stockist, said ladyfinger production is lower by 50 per cent this year due to deficient rainfall in major producing regions. According to Patil, price of the vegetable would start moving northward again in March once the existing stocks start depleting.

According to sources, the Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai has started vacating street hawkers from their perennial sales locations. As a result, demand for vegetables from small vendors has come down.