Veggie prices in MMR surge post Diwali

According to APMC officials and wholesale traders, the current price surge should ease in a couple of weeks, as farmers, agricultural labourers and transporters return to regular schedules

Navi Mumbai: Vegetable prices in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have risen sharply after Diwali due to a temporary slowdown in harvesting and transportation activities. With farmers, agricultural labourers and transporters taking extended festival breaks, the movement of farm produce from major agricultural belts such as Pune, Nashik, Satara and Ahmednagar to the MMR has been hit, resulting in fluctuations in arrivals at the Vashi Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) wholesale market.

Veggie prices in MMR surge post Diwali

“With harvesting momentum slowing down temporarily, key wholesale commodities experienced immediate upward price pressures,” Mahesh Patil, a wholesale vegetable trader.

The price hike is particularly evident in gourds, beans and other vegetables and extends across the MMR, as Vashi APMC is the main wholesale distribution centre for vegetables. The market had faced supply pressures earlier due to erratic monsoon conditions and crop damage in major vegetable-growing belts, leading to increased dependence on supplies from neighbouring states.

According to APMC officials and wholesale traders, the current price surge should ease in a couple of weeks, as farmers, agricultural labourers and transporters return to regular schedules. Prices are expected to gradually stabilise by the end of November, although the extent of the reduction will depend on fresh arrivals and local market conditions.

“Supply lines are being restored as transporters and agricultural workers have resumed regular schedules. With wholesale volumes stabilising, retail prices across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai are also expected to normalise by this month-end,” Patil said.