Winter brings vegetable prices down

With ample supply of vegetables to Mumbai Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi, the wholesale price of the commodity has dropped sharply. And, even price of most of the vegetables in retail market is also under control.

Prices of tomato which once touched Rs 100 per kg has come down to as low as Rs 4 to Rs6 per kg in the wholesale and just Rs10 to Rs12 per kg in the retail market. The tomato price is lowest in the last two years. Traders say that huge supply has brought down the prices. On Saturday, around 70 tempos laden with tomatoes arrived at the APMC market.

Saturday, the last day of the week, witnessed excessive supply of cauliflower, tomato, peas and capsicum in the APMC market in Vashi.

In the last one month, the price of vegetables has come down because of strong supply and even a few vegetables touched a record price in the retail market.

On January 27, a total 649 trucks (147 trucks and 502 tempos) laden with vegetables arrived at the APMC market. "The arrival of vegetables in the APMC market on Thursday was good like good supply in winter season," said an official of APMC Vashi.

Winter is good time as market is full of fresh green vegetables. "Buyers wait whole year for peas which has good supply. In the retail market, peas is available at Rs30 per kg. The premium quality tomato was available at Rs 20 per kg while the normal tomato which is being sold in the retail market is available at Rs 10 to Rs12 per kg. A bunch of methi and palak leaf is available at just Rs 5 to Rs 7 in the retail market. Onion which was being sold at Rs 50 per kg about a fortnight ago is being sold at Rs 30 to Rs 35 per kg. "The onion prices will go down further in a fortnight," said an administrative officer from APMC Vashi.