Pune: Leafies, fruits costlier by 20-30% | Pune News – Times of India

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[google-translator]

PUNE: The rates of leafy vegetables and fruit have increased by 20-30% in retail and wholesale markets, said officials of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) at the Gultekdi Market Yard on Tuesday. This is mainly due to damage to crops due to the rains in July, they said, adding that there is also huge demand for vegetables and fruit due to the month of Shravan being observed by many.
The rates will remain high for a few weeks, officials surmised, as there will be a shortage of supply due to fewer plantations of leafy vegetables flourishing at the moment.

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Market Yard vegetable section head Balasaheb Bibve said, “Leafies often get damaged due to the rainfall as they are delicate. Even one good shower can damage the entire harvest within a day. Several leafy vegetable farms saw damage due to the accumulation of rainwater in large quantities in the district. As a result, rates have gone up in the market.”
A bunch of coriander (kothimbir) is being sold in the range of Rs30-40, fenugreek (methi) bunches sold for Rs 30-35 each, and both dill (shepu) and spinach are at Rs20-25 per bunch in local mandis.
APMC officials also said they are getting 30% less supply than normal for the last few days. On Tuesday, Market Yard received 1.24lakh bunches of coriander, 42,000 fenugreek bunches, 12,205 bundles of dill and 10,375 of spinach.
“The intake of these vegetables is a third less than the usual range. It may shrink more in coming days, resulting in a further price escalation. If we do not get fresh intake from the district, prices are bound to go up. Rain will play a major role in this, too,” added Bibve.
Over in the fruit section, officials said the supply of many varieties the market typically requires this month in particular is inadequate.
Dutta Kalamkar, who recently became head of the fruit section at Market Yard, said, “The rates of all fruit have skyrocketed in the last three days, mainly due to the demand-supply mismatch. As many people do not eat non-vegetarian during Shravan, the demand for fruit is high in the market.”
The market received only 870kg of apples on Tuesday, which is scanty supply. They were auctioned off for Rs 100-125 per kg. The pomegranate season is at an early stage and the markets got only 2,457kg of this fruit, allowing it to sell for as high as Rs180 per kg.
“Apart from these two major varieties, rates of sweet lime, orange, papaya, and custard apples also went up by 20-30% in wholesale markets,” added Kalamkar.
Meanwhile, customers rued the collapse of their monthly budget. Archana Shinde, a working professional, said, “We spend 40% extra on the vegetable and fruit budget now than just two weeks ago. Rates have gone beyond the affordable range. It is becoming difficult to manage expenses.” Manisha Kale from Kothrud echoed, “We know that vendors are charging double and triple the wholesale rates. Yet, we have no option but to buy from them. They do not even entertain bargaining.”

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