Veggie prices crash as supply soars in Vashi

Wholesale prices of vegetables have dropped to single digits in the past fortnight following a huge supply of vegetables in the market in Navi Mumbai. Most vegetables at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) market in Vashi are now being sold for Rs 10 per kg. The impact of this has also been felt in the retail market, where most vegetables are being sold for Rs 20 per kg.

Traders have attributed the good supply of vegetables in the wholesale market to good weather in vegetable-producing areas. “In the past month, Maharashtra and its adjoining areas have witnessed good weather, resulting in a good yield,” said Sanjay Pansare, former director at APMC, Vashi.

There was an excess supply of cauliflower, tomato, peas and capsicum in the APMC market on Monday. In the retail market, the prices of most vegetables dropped by about 50 per cent. In the past fortnight, vegetable prices have dropped due to a good supply. In fact, some of the prices touched a record low in the retail market. Tomatoes, which was earlier being sold for Rs 20 per kg, is now available for Rs 10 per kg in the retail market.

In most cases, the APMC in Vashi receives around 520 trucks laden with vegetables. On February 27, however, it received about 622 trucks with vegetables. “There was a good supply of vegetables in the APMC market on Monday. This is a reason why the price of vegetables has dropped,” said a APMC official.