Green peas for ₹250 a kg, beans for ₹100, Maharashtra farmers’ strike pushes up veggie prices in Mumbai

mumbai

Updated: Jun 02, 2017 16:53 IST

The Maharashtra farmers’ strike hit the supply of vegetables to the APMC market in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, pushing up the wholesale and retail prices.

Demanding loan waiver, the farmers have been on strike since Thursday.

Farmers continued to spill mill and empty trucks carrying vegetables across Maharastra.

#WATCH: Farmers spill milk on road in Maharashtra's Shirdi as a part of protest demanding crop loan waiver and better procurement prices. pic.twitter.com/Q9DLneRmYm — ANI (@ANI_news) June 2, 2017

Kailash Tajane, president of vegetable wholesalers’ association in Navi Mumbai, said, “Usually, 450 vehicles supply the stock to the market daily. Today, only 146 vehicles reached the market, of which only 10 are from Maharashtra. The other trucks are from Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kolkata.”

This was the scene at most markets across Maharashtra. ( Pratham Gokhale/HT )

Ashok Walanj, a director of the APMC, who also represents the onion and potato market said, “We are short on supplies. Although we received 40 trucks of potatoes today, we didn’t get onions from Maharashtra. If the strike continues, the prices of onions will go up by 10-15%.”

Sellers at Dadar market were short on supplies. ( Anshuman Poyrekar/HT )

Om Prakash, a fruit vendor in Matunga, said, “We got 25% less supply than usual.”

Gangadharin, a vegetable vendor in Matunga market, said, “We get all our supplies from Vashi APMC market. The middlemen will ensure that the suppliy reaches to the retailer but with the price hike.”

The flower market in Dadar wore a deserted look. ( Anshuman Poyrekar/HT )

“We had expected the supplies to be hit only by Saturday, but the violence by farmers has started to show its impact. The word has spread and transporters are refusing to operate. The shortage has led to doubling of prices of almost all vegetables in the wholesale market,” said Tajane.

The retail market, too, has witnessed a rise in prices.

The scene at APMC market. ( HT )

Dharmesh Gupta, a retailer in Vashi, said, “We got limited stock from the wholesale market today, that too at higher prices.”

Rahul Singh, a vendor who operates from Naigaum, said, “We did not get regular supply from the APMC. We had to rely on middlemen to get our stock at a premium price.”

Most vendors said their stock got over in two hours . “The vegetables were very costly. I returned home empty-handed,” said Subhash Solanki, a resident of Sewri.

The empty market yard at Pune. ( Pratham Gokhale/HT )

Meanwhile, the neighbouring Kalyan did not get a single truck today. “ Not a single truck arrived at the market today. We are selling yesterday’s leftover stock,” said a wholesaler from the market.

Vegetables (1kg) Prices in Vashi APMC on June 1 (in Rs) Prices in Vashi APMC on June 2 (in Rs) Green peas 80 150-250 Beans 40 100 Tomatoes 30 70 Cabbage 40 80 Lady’s finger 40 80 Turai 35 80-100

Milk booths in the city, too, went out of stock within a few hours. “Three booths in Mumbai didn’t have milk,” said Brijesh Pandey, a Mumbai resident.

“So far, we haven’t hiked the prices. The situation will be clear in the next two days,” said Pappu Agrawal, owner of a dairy in Mumbai.