After three months, the wholesale Onion-Potato market at Vashi experienced a substantial rise in garlic supply for the first time. Consequently, the buying price of the commodity also witnessed a decline due to the surge in availability. However, traders caution that retailers may have to wait a bit longer for significant relief.
The Onion-Potato market at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) recorded the arrival of approximately 2250 quintals of garlic. "Over the last two days, we've seen a rise in supply, with Thursday's arrival crossing 2000 quintals," mentioned an administrative official from APMC.
The average buying price of garlic stood at Rs 145 per kg, reaching a peak of Rs 210 per kg. "The supply of garlic had sharply declined, with minimal stocks available in the market during January," the official added. Just a month ago, on January 22, arrivals were as low as 314 quintals in the wholesale market. "Thursday's arrival of 2265 quintals marks a significant increase, nearly seven times more than the previous month," the official informed.
Retail prices of garlic surged to a record high of Rs 480 per kg in the second week of February. "The arrival of new crops attracted even traders who were previously idle or had limited stock in the market," stated Ashok Walunj, Director of the Onion-Potato market at APMC Vashi.
Traders anticipate a decline in retail prices within a week if the supply continues to improve. "Rainfall during the harvest period damaged the crop," mentioned Rafiq Patel, a trader, expressing concern over the unprecedented situation experienced in the past decade. The reduced yield, coupled with increased consumption during winter, has contributed to the price surge, traders explained.
Managing kitchen budgets has become challenging for homemakers. Anu Sharma, a resident of Vashi, mentioned that she has already stopped using garlic altogether. "Even at Rs 450 per kg, the quality of garlic was unsatisfactory," she remarked.