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Prices of vegetables to shoot up as mandis at Khandsa, Farrukhnagar and Pataudi shut
Gurugram:
Gurugram:
As the Khandsa mandi, the wholesale market for vegetables and fruits in Gurugram, has been shut till May 8 after nine vendors were found Covid-19 positive, local vegetable sellers said on Tuesday that retail prices of kitchen staples like onion, potato and tomato will increase from Wednesday.
However, officials of Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB) said they have enough stock to meet the city’s demand for the next three days.
The situation may get worse as two other mandis -- at Pataudi and Farrukhnagar -- have also been shut for two days starting May 6 in order to facilitate disinfection and protect wholesalers and retailers from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“With the announcement of the closure of Khandsa mandi, retailers procured the stock on Monday night that can last for the next three days. Dealers have also restricted the supply to vendors coming from other states for the period,” said Vinay Yadav, HSAMB secretary (Gurugram district).
On Monday night, the HSAMB had to close the mandi after nine vegetable sellers were confirmed Covid-19 positive, having links with Delhi’s Azadpur mandi where 17 positive cases have been reported.
Retail prices of vegetables at markets like Sadar Bazar already shoot up on Tuesday.
“On Monday, the price of potato was Rs 20 per kg, which has gone up to Rs 40, while onion rates have increased from Rs 30 per kg to Rs 45 per kg. Prices of some other vegetables like ginger and tomato my also go up,” said Rohit Yadav, a vegetable seller at Sadar Bazar, who has stock available for the next two days.
Some retailers said that they don’t have enough stock that will last till Friday (May 8). “I have limited stock with me. I was solely dependent on the Khandsa wholesale market for vegetables. It will lead to rise in prices,” said Subhash Lal, another retailer from Sadar Bazar.
However, HSAMB officials said several teams are already deployed in different retail markets to check the price fluctuation. “Our teams will be visiting major vegetable markets to check the prices at which vegetables and fruits are being sold. If anyone is found selling at a higher rate, action will be taken accordingly,” said Vinay Yadav of HSAMB.
Raj Kumar Beniwal, chief marketing enforcement officer, HSAMB, said, “Our focus is on ensuring demand and supply and controlling price fluctuations. We will take legal action against vegetable sellers who are found disrupting the market prices.”
“There will be no dearth of the vegetable stock till May 8. The supply chain will be maintained. We will be supplying the stock from other districts of Haryana,” Beniwal said.
DEPENDENCY ON SMALL MANDIS, OTHER DISTRICTS
Every day 5,000-6,000 quintals of vegetables and fruits arrive at the Khandsa mandi from Delhi’s Azadpur mandi, neighbouring districts like Nuh within the state and from states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. But on Tuesday, there was no fresh arrival at the mandi.
HSAMB’s Vinay Yadav said, “Locally produced vegetables and green leafy vegetables are being sold by the farmers in smaller mandis like Badshahpur, from where retailers can easily procure the produce. To ensure the supply is not affected in the condominiums and residential areas, the vegetable collection centres of retail chains is completely functional. Farmers from Pataudi and Farrukhnagar are providing their stock to these collection centres.”
Currently, there are 60 collection centres where farmers sell their produce to retail chains.
Raj Kumar Aggarwal, a wholesaler at Khandsa mandi, said, “There are small mandis within 10-15 kilometres area of Gurugram where many retailers buy vegetables. Before the major mandis were closed, sellers and retailers had stocked up the produce. In case the stock is over, small mandis are still functional where farmers are dropping their produce from nearby districts.”
Some online marketplaces said that their prices will remain unaffected irrespective of what happens at Khandsa wholesale market. Naveen Yadav, who works at Fruit Uncle (online fruit and vegetable store), said, “We are getting our supplies directly from the farmers in Haryana, so we are not facing any shortage of supply whatsoever.”
