Leafy green vegetables, although poor in supply and quality, are setting new price highs in the markets across the city of Pune. The rain, affecting veggie supplies to markets, has caused a significant plunge in the arrival of spinach, fenugreek, coriander and other varieties and spiked the prices.
Coriander is selling at Rs 50-60 per bunch in the retail market as against Rs 30-40 some days ago. A similar spike in the price of spring onions, fenugreek and other leafy greens is turning shoppers away. The bulk of leafy vegetables coming to the markets have black or white spots, yellow discolouration or are decaying.
An official from the Agriculture Produce market committee told TOI that almost 40% of leafy vegetables produce is coming in a rotten state, while the price of good quality greens has gone up.
"Normally, on a Sunday, 1,500-1,700 trucks with leafy vegetables enter the APMC Pune market, while 900-1200 trucks come daily during other week days. In the last few days, since the inclement rains have begun, 100-200 trucks less have been arriving as a lot of the leafy veggie produce is rotting on fields and during transportation. On Wednesday, a truck carrying coriander from Agra had rotting produce," he said.
One vegetable vendor said the spinach has black spots, while spring onions have white spots: “These infections are because of the rain in a usually dry month. The quality of leafy greens is extremely bad now. Farmers sow a crop when it stops raining and the veggies grow a little, but periods of inclement rain ruin them. One spell stops only to be followed by another.”
Spring onions are yellow and discoloured. "They were selling at Rs 20-30 per bunch some days ago but the price on Wednesday was Rs 50-60 per bunch in the retail market. Coriander has gone up to Rs 60 a bunch, while fenugreek is now Rs 30-40 per bunch as against the earlier Rs 20-25."
[ Rs100 = €1.30 ]
