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Pune market sees less local inflow of fruits & vegetables amid Zilla Parishad polls
Reduced local supplies (produce) have in turn caused the prices of vegetables such as tomato and cucumber to rise even as prices of Totapuri mangoes have fallen and prices of most other fruits and vegetables have remained stable despite the supply constraints.
PUNE: The ongoing Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections have disrupted the fruits and vegetables’ harvest in parts of Pune division, leading to a decline in local supplies at Gultekdi wholesale fruit and vegetable market this week. Reduced local supplies (produce) have in turn caused the prices of vegetables such as tomato and cucumber to rise even as prices of Totapuri mangoes have fallen and prices of most other fruits and vegetables have remained stable despite the supply constraints.
Traders at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market Yard said that around 90 truckloads of fruits and vegetables arrived at the market on Sunday from Maharashtra as well as other states.
Inter-state arrivals included 14 to 15 tempos of green chilies from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh; 7 to 8 tempos of carrots from Rajasthan; 4 to 5 tempos of cabbage from Karnataka; and 3 to 4 tempos, each, of drumsticks from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The market also received 3 to 4 tempos of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; 2 tempos of cluster beans from Karnataka; 2 to 3 tempos, each, of groundnut pods from Karnataka and Gujarat; 15 to 16 tempos of peas from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; and 10 to 12 tempos of garlic from Madhya Pradesh.
As per the information shared by the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), arrivals from the Pune division were comparatively lower due to elections disrupting the harvest. These included 6,000 to 7,000 crates of tomatoes; 7 to 8 tempos of cucumbers; 5 to 6 tempos of okra; 3 to 4 tempos of green chilies; 8 to 10 tempos of cauliflower; and 4 to 5 tempos of capsicum.
Other produce reaching the market comprised 400 to 450 bags of bananas from Satara; 2 to 3 tempos, each, of carrots and cluster beans; 5 to 6 tempos of cabbage; 2 tempos of red pumpkin; and 70 to 80 tempos of both new and old onion. Potato supplies remained steady, with 30 to 35 tempos arriving from Indore, Agra, and nearby local regions.
Commenting on the arrivals, Vilas Bhujbal, a senior trader at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market Yard, said, “Around 90 trucks of fruits and vegetables arrived at the market on Sunday from within Maharashtra and from other states. Supplies came from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, including green chilies, carrots, cabbage, drumstick, peas, garlic, groundnut pods, and Totapuri mangoes.”
Market officials said that the inter-state supplies helped balance the reduced local inflow and prevented sharp price fluctuations with respect to most commodities. Traders expect local arrivals/supplies to increase and prices to stabilise once election-related disruptions ease and harvest operations resume fully.
Reflecting consumer concerns, Tulshi Jain, a local resident shopping at the market, said, “Tomato and cucumber prices have gone up noticeably this week, and it’s affecting our daily household budget. We hope supplies improve after the elections so that prices can come down.”
