Cabbage for ₹140/kg, onions for ₹90

Despite regular operations resuming at the Navi Mumbai wholesale vegetable market on Thursday, retail prices remained inflated in Mumbai with sellers pointing to

Despite regular operations resuming at the Navi Mumbai wholesale vegetable market on Thursday, retail prices remained inflated in Mumbai with sellers pointing to escalated transportation costs. The Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) said it expects prices to fall over the weekend.

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The supply of vegetables from APMC market increased from 22 trucks on Thursday to 513 trucks on Friday. However, vegetables were still sold at more than double their regular rates in retail markets. On Friday, in the Navi Mumbai wholesale market, onions were sold at ₹20-₹30 per kg and tomatoes at ₹25-₹30 per kg. Potatoes were sold at ₹15-₹20 per kg. However, in retail markets, onions, tomatoes and potatoes were sold at ₹60-₹80, ₹80-₹ 120 and ₹80-₹90 per kg respectively.

Other vegetables also saw inflated prices. Brinjal was sold at ₹100-110 per kg in retail markets as compared to ₹15-₹20 per kg in the wholesale market. Cabbage and cauliflower were retailing at ₹120-₹140 per kg and were sold for ₹20-₹22 per kg in wholesale market. Coriander retailed at ₹100- ₹150 per bunch and was priced at ₹25-₹30 in wholesale market.

Sunil Singatkar , deputy secretary, APMC Vashi, said, “From Thursday we have resumed our work and we expect the supply of vegetables to be normalised in next two days. Then prices will automatically come down.”

However, dealer Mukund Bhartale, who retails at Parel vegetable market, said he expected prices to remain high. “As we have to spend a lot on transportation and no one is ready to offer services due to the lockdown, vegetables have become costlier,” he said.

Shashikant Shinde, secretary of the mathadi (manual) workers’ union and a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, said, “To supply vegetables to common people at a fair price, we are planning to supply vegetables directly to two retail shops in each area. Discussion on the same is going on with the respective civic bodies.”