Jaipur: Veggie prices crash 30% in May compared to last year

JAIPUR: With a drop in the demand and good local harvest, the prices of vegetables are almost 30% lower compared to May 2019. Whether wholesale or retail, the consumers are getting a good bargain for their vegetables.
Wholesale traders at Muhana Mandi said that farmers had started coming to the Mandi in good numbers since there are many relaxations for them in the lockdown.

“We have started getting the locally harvested vegetables from Bassi, Chomu, Tonk, Kanota and other farms in Jaipur. There is a sudden increase in the supply which is almost double than what we usually get. Thus, there has been a drop in the prices of the vegetables if we compare with May 2019. Not only that, the prices of onions which were sold at Rs 40-Rs 50 per kg in May last year are being sold at Rs 10 to Rs 20 this year,” Ramesh Kumar, a wholesale trader at Muhana Mandi told TOI.
Ginger and lemon which are necessary items in every kitchen, especially in the summers, were sold at Rs 80 to Rs 120 per kg in May last year. However, their retail prices vary from Rs 40 to Rs 60 this year.
Wholesale traders say there is a possibility of spike in the prices of vegetables from June onwards when the locally harvested vegetables would be exhausted.
These days, tomatoes and onions are being sold at Rs 5 to Rs 10 in wholesale and at Rs 10 to Rs 20 in retail. “There is a bumper crop of tomatoes which has pushed the prices down,” said Mahesh Kumar, another wholesale trader at the Mandi.
Initially, when the lockdown began on March 23, the prices of the vegetables were sky-rocketing. At that time, the ladyfinger was sold at Rs 120 to Rs 150 per kg due to poor availability.