Vegetable prices in Nashik have shot up by nearly 20% in the third consecutive week of June, severely impacting household budgets. The rise in prices is mainly due to the damage caused by unseasonal rains in May, which affected over 3,500 hectares of vegetable crops across the district.
The shortage of supply has led to a 35–40% drop in arrivals at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). As a result, prices of essential vegetables have seen a sharp hike. Garlic, which was earlier available at ₹100 per kg, is now being sold for ₹140. Popular vegetables like drumsticks (shevga), cluster beans (guwar), and field beans (wal) are now priced above ₹150 per kg.
Even items used in small quantities, like coriander, have become costly — a bunch that cost ₹50 earlier now costs ₹80. Okra (bhindi), which cost much less 10 days ago, has seen a 90% price jump. Peas, which were selling at ₹50 per kg last week, are now available for a steep ₹200 per kg in the retail market.
The sudden spike in rates is causing distress among homemakers, who are finding it difficult to manage kitchen expenses. With the rains continuing since early June, the situation is expected to remain unstable in the coming weeks, keeping vegetable prices high.