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Navi Mumbai: With the onset of Pitru Paksha, demand for vegetables used in rituals has surged across Navi Mumbai, but a sharp drop in supply has sent wholesale and retail prices soaring. Most vegetables that were priced at Rs 40–60 per kilo last month are now selling for over Rs 100 per kilo in retail markets.
Demand rises, supply drops after Ganesh Chaturthi
At Vashi APMC, which supplies Mumbai and its suburbs, arrivals have thinned after Ganesh Chaturthi. Heavy rains in several parts of the state damaged crops and disrupted transport, reducing the quantity of produce reaching the market. “The mismatch between demand and supply has caused prices to almost double in just a few weeks,” said trader Balasaheb Mohite Patil.
Vegetables in high demand for rituals
During Pitru Paksha, families prepare meals for ancestral offerings, which has led to greater demand for vegetables like cluster beans, okra, red pumpkin, cowpea beans, drumsticks, flat beans, leafy greens, and raw bananas. “Even though prices are high, people have no choice but to buy these vegetables for the rituals,” added Patil.
Steep hikes across categories
Leafy greens such as spinach, fenugreek, and coriander have seen a 20 to 30 percent price hike, while beans and gourds have nearly doubled. Red pumpkin, which was sold at Rs 10–20 per kilo wholesale last month, is now fetching Rs 30–40 per kilo wholesale and almost Rs 80 per kilo in retail.
Similarly, cluster beans and okra that cost Rs 60–80 per kilo in wholesale are now retailing between Rs 100 and Rs 120. Green peas are priced at Rs 150 in wholesale and Rs 200 in retail.
Other vegetables also expensive
Other vegetables have also seen steep hikes. Cauliflower is being sold at Rs 60–80 per kilo, cowpea beans and French beans are at Rs 50–60 per kilo, flat beans are at Rs 50–60 per kilo, bitter gourd is at Rs 40–60 per kilo, drumstick pods are at Rs 60–80 per kilo, and field beans are at Rs 80 per kilo in wholesale.
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Prices likely to remain high until Navratri
Retail prices remain much higher, with most common vegetables crossing the Rs 100 mark. Traders estimate that prices will remain elevated until Navratri. “Only if the rains subside and arrivals improve will the market stabilize,” said another trader from the APMC market.
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