Prices of green chili triples in a week 125-150/kg

NAVI MUMBAI: Green chilli prices have more than doubled due to low arrivals and heat, with wholesale rates reaching ₹45-75 and retail at ₹125-160 per kg.

NAVI MUMBAI: The prices of green chilli, an essential ingredient in Indian kitchens, have more than doubled in both the wholesale and retail markets, with little chance of a reduction soon. The price of lower quality green chilli in the wholesale Turbhe’s APMC market, which cost ₹20-30 per kg a week ago, have increased to ₹45 per kg. The price of good quality chilli has increased from ₹40 per kg to ₹75 per kg. In the retail market, the price has sharply risen from ₹40-50- per kg to ₹125 to ₹160 per kg, varying by the quality.

Workers work on Green Chilli packging at APMC Market, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. pic: Bachchan Kumar

Businesses are blaming low arrivals compounded by heat for the price hike. Ram Yadav, a wholesaler, said, “We are getting chilli stock from Nagpur, Gujarat, Palghar, Karnataka etc and the arrivals have reduced by almost 40% as production has fallen. The rising temperature is causing most of the arriving stock to perish on the way. Due to the heat, the chilli is drying up, turning red, and the overall quality falling.” He said prices will not come down anytime soon, adding, “In fact, they could increase further.”

The stock retail shop owners purchase does not last long and are perishing at a much faster rate than usual, said Pradeep Sawant, a retailer in Vashi. To make up for the financial loss this causes, retailers have increased the price to almost three times of what it was just a couple of weeks ago, Sawant said. “Unlike other vegetables, people cannot really reduce the purchase of chilli as it is anyway not consumed in large quantities and hence the demand remains the same. People have no option but to buy at the increased price,” aid Sawant.