Vegetables price have plunged in Mumbai over the past two weeks, on a sudden increase in direct supply from farmers to retailers and bulk consumers, following the state government’s removal of the legal compulsion for farmers to sell only at regulated wholesale markets (mandis). Prices of green vegetables have fallen up to 53 per cent since July 15.

The delisting of fruit and vegetables from mandis was announced in early July. Normally, during the monsoon, vegetable supply gets interrupted due to slow harvesting in muddy fields, non-availability or delay in transport and fear of high ...