Heatwave hits veggie supply, pushes up prices by 40-50%

Farmers reported a drop in yields and crop growth, and warned of a prolonged crisis if the heatwave continues

Navi Mumbai/ Thane: Prices of vegetables in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have escalated sharply over the past two weeks due to the severe heatwave sweeping across parts of Maharashtra. At the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) wholesale market in Vashi, which serves as the primary distribution hub for vegetables, arrivals are down 20-30% even as prices of kitchen staples have jumped 40-50% and existing vegetable stock is getting spoiled quickly due to heat, traders said. Farmers also reported a drop in yields and crop growth, and warned of a prolonged crisis if the heatwave continues.

Heatwave hits veggie supply, pushes up prices by 40-50%

Bajirao Gagare, founder of the ‘Hi Maitri Vicharachi’ farmers’ group in Sagamner, said that excessive heat during the bulb formation stage puts stress on the onion crop, causing leaves to scorch or dry up, and reducing bulb sizes and overall heat.

“Since leaves are responsible for photosynthesis, any damage reduces the plant’s ability to produce food, limiting bulb growth and lowering yield. Rising temperatures also cause soil moisture to evaporate quickly, increasing the need for frequent irrigation,” Gagare said.

Abhishek Holkar, a grape farmer from Nashik said grape yields had dropped by more than 50% due to the ongoing heatwave.

“Sudden spikes in temperature cause grape flowers to fall prematurely, which significantly reduces crop output,” said Holkar.

Ashok More, a trader at the APMC vegetable market, said typically, the market receives around 550-600 vehicles carrying vegetables daily from agricultural belts like Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur, and Sangli. “But the extreme heat has severely affected crop yields and harvesting conditions, bringing daily arrivals down by 20-30%,” he said.

The severe heat was prematurely drying up standing crops, and highly perishable items like leafy greens, tomatoes, and French beans were taking the worst hit, More said.

“By the time the produce reaches the market, a large portion is already wilting or rotting due to lack of adequate cold chain transport,” he noted.

Given the circumstances, vegetable traders in retail markets said they were forced to pass on the costs of transit spoilage directly to consumers.

“We have to throw away almost a quarter of our daily stock because the intense heat turns leafy vegetables black and limp within hours,” said Mohan Yadav, a retail vendor in Vashi’s Sector 9 market. “Customers argue with us over the sudden price hike, but our wholesale purchasing costs have gone up, and the daily waste is higher than ever. We have no choice but to adjust rates just to break even.”

The supply crunch is likely to persist until the mercury drops or the next crop cycle matures, which typically takes several weeks, traders said.

Ramdas Pawle, a veteran wholesale trader at the APMC yard, said supply usually begins to decrease ahead of the monsoons, around mid-May or June.

“However, this year, the intense heatwave has started drying up supply lines much earlier in the season. If the mercury continues to rise without any unseasonal showers, prices of basic vegetables will remain elevated,” he said.