Kitchen budget in Mumbai takes a hit as veggie prices rise amid crop loss, low supply

Navi Mumbai: Vegetable prices in Mumbai have risen sharply after Ganeshotsav and with the onset of Pitrupaksha, as erratic monsoon conditions, crop damage and lower arrivals tightened supplies, said traders. Most vegetables are retailing at Rs 80-120 per kg, while vendors warned prices could increase further if unpredictable weather continued.

At APMC Vashi wholesale market, vegetables are priced at Rs 40-70 per kg, up from Rs 20-50 per kg a week ago. Traders said prices were likely to remain elevated in the coming days. With supply from Maharashtra currently scanty, most vegetables are arriving from neighbouring Gujarat and Karnataka.

Balasaheb Badade, president of APMC-Mumbai Vegetable Traders Association, attributed the increase to a break in monsoon rains that stressed standing crops in key farming belts, including Nashik, Pune and Satara. He said unpredictable weather had also caused localised crop damage and reduced overall yields, affecting wholesale markets.

Traders said a dry spell had disrupted crop supply chains, while spoilage of perishable greens during storage and transportation had compounded the shortage. Ashok Gupta, a trader, said fewer vegetable trucks were reaching the wholesale hub at APMC Vashi.