Stir makes foodgrains dearer; prices could fluctuate further

The prices of essential commodities at the Agriculture Produce Market Complex (APMC), from where the city gets its supply, have increased following the indefinite strike declared by wholesale traders.

The prices of essential commodities at the Agriculture Produce Market Complex (APMC), from where the city gets its supply, have increased following the indefinite strike declared by wholesale traders.

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On Wednesday, while the grains market, which had earlier participated in the strike, opened for business, the spices market stayed shut.

“The prices of foodgrains have increased by 5% to 10% because of reduced supplies in the past few days, which is a result of the strike,”said Kishore Satra, a wholesaler at APMC.

“There is a lot of confusion as there is no clarity about when the agitation will end and when the market will function fully. The prices could fluctuate further. Retail prices have gone up too,” he added.

PG Jirapure, deputy secretary of foodgrains at APMC, confirmed that the price of foodgrains has shot up. “The prices of commodities such as tur dal, urad dal, moong daal, chana, sugar, wheat and rice have increased by Rs. 10 to Rs. 20 per kg.”

Shashi Patil, a retailer in Vashi, said: “The supplies from the wholesale market have reduced so prices have gone up.”