The exorbitant rise in garlic prices, reaching a record high of Rs 400 per kg, has placed a significant strain on household budgets, especially impacting the kitchen expenses of homemakers. Traders at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Vashi are predicting a challenging period ahead, with relief from soaring prices expected only after the arrival of fresh crops, likely starting in the last week of February.
Ashok Walunj, Director of Onion-Potato market at APMC Vashi said that there is tough time for homemakers as well as traders. “Hardly one or two vehicles laden with garlic are arriving at the market which is not sufficient for MMR,” said Walunj. He added that they are expecting the arrival of fresh crops after February 25.
In the last week, the price of garlic touched a record Rs 400 per kg in retail. Even at the wholesale market, premium quality garlic is available around Rs 250 to Rs 300 per kg. “Traders have hardly any stock and whatever is available are average quality,” said a trader at Garlic market inside Onion-Potato market.
Shankar Thakkar, secretary of Confederation of All India Traders, Maharashtra state said that the primary reason for the price increase is attributed to the lower prices received by farmers for their produce last year. Consequently, this prompted farmers to allocate more resources to alternative crops this year, resulting in decreased production and subsequent price hikes.
The rainfall during the November and December in garlic growing areas is also seen as one of the reasons for low availability of garlic. Walunj said that there were rainfalls during the harvest period which destroyed the crop. “We have never seen such a bad situation in the last one decade,” said Walunj, adding that the situation will improve only after the arrival of fresh crops. “We are expecting that the wholesale price of garlic will come down to Rs 100 per kg by the first week of March,” said Walunj. He added that Vashi APMC receives garlic from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Another reason for the price rise is the rise in consumption. “During winter, the consumption of garlic increases which pushes the price,” said Thakkar.
The price of garlic has reached Rs 280 per kg in the retail market following a dip in supply. Traders at the agriculture produce market committee (APMC) say there will be respite in a month. Garlic is one of the essential ingredients in the kitchen and its price impacts the budget as well as the taste of the food.
Meanwhile, Thakkar highlighted that with this year being an election year, there's a pressing need for the government to investigate any potential manipulation in the garlic market. The sudden surge in prices over just a few days raises legitimate concerns in this regard. Additionally, it's anticipated that the prices of new crops could potentially decrease as arrivals in the markets rise, particularly from states like Uttar Pradesh and others.
Kiran Singh, a resident of Nerul says that she has just received relief from high vegetable prices including onion and now the garlic has spoiled the household budget.