Wholesale veggie prices still unaffected, but not for long

Retail traders have increased vegetable rates citing indefinite strike of farmers in Maharashtra as the reason. However, wholesale markets remained unaffected on Thursday.

But Rajesh Phalake, a retailer at Vashi, said that he had bought vegetables in the wholesale market at higher rates on Thursday and would thus have to increase the prices of the vegetables to make up for the additional expenses from Friday onwards.

But when DNA visited the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee in Vashi on Thursday, the wholesale market there was unaffected by the farmers' strike. "The strike started on Thursday, so we will face the impact on Friday and the coming days. We had already received goods on Wednesday and Thursday night. Since it was ample in quantity, there was no question of prices being raised. But from Friday, the rates of vegetables may go up," said Sanjay Wakchaure, another retailer.

Ladies finger was sold at Rs 60 per kg in the retail market while the wholesale rate was Rs 30 per kg. In retail, tomato was sold at Rs 30 per kg, brinjal at Rs 40 per kg, carrot at Rs 30 per kg, and chilly at Rs 100 per kg.