Wholesale markets across the country started facing the aftermath of a two-month-long lockdown implemented by the central government. Vegetable prices in markets across the have crashed leaving some places to sell veggies at single-digit rates.
Onions prices faced worst hit at Delhi’s Azadpur mandi where the price fell to Rs 8per kg. Tomato rate fell to Rs 4 per kg in Karnataka; Brinjal rate fell to 8 per kg in Gujarat. Onions worst hit of all in Maharastra stood at Rs 4.6 per kg, while Green Chillies rate in Kerala is 29.6 per kg. Only ladies' finger rate is in double-digit in most states, Rs 22 per kg in Maharashtra.
However, rates in West Bengal spiked after the destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan. Some district farmers said they lost more than 80% of their farm due to the cyclone. Prices of vegetables in the states have risen by 20-30 per cent in just two days.
Closure of restaurants across the country adversely affected the demand for vegetables. Hostels, hotels, canteens, and banquet halls are closed which are the prominent buyers of vegetables from mandis across the country.
“Demands from hotels and restaurants who depend on fresh vegetables to cook meals have fallen by 50-60% and hostels are closed as students went back to their houses,” said traders in Azadpur mandi.
Most states closed their borders which impacted the supply chain of vegetables across the country, possibly leading to crashing the prices of perishable vegetables due to distress in their sale. “The disruption caused to supply chain during the lockdown is among the major reason of such collapse in prices," said Ashok Gulati, professor for agriculture at ICRIER, to TOI.
Prices of vegetables were constant before the start of lockdown, now the fall in May, when compared to March, is huge. Green chilies price in Rajasthan is at Rs 10 per kg which is 40 per cent less compared to March. Ladies Finger pricing at Rs 10.1 per kg in Gujarat is 61 per cent less compared to the rate in March. Onions price at 6.3 per kg in Maharastra is 54.5 per cent less compares to the rate in March.
Prices of karela fell in all states with the biggest hit in Punjab and Haryana, bottle gourd followed a similar route except in Kerala and Karnataka. Garlic rates went down in all states and the same happened with green chilies. Onion prices collapsed completely across the country while Tomato being sold at lower prices in many big states.
