Even as onion rates have gone down, vegetable shortage in Nashik has increased prices in Mumbai, where the bulk of agriculture produce is sent.
“There is an acute shortage of vegetables in Nashik because there’s no water and vegetables don’t grow in high temperatures,” said Dr Atmaram Kumbharde, chairman of Chandwad Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC). He said high prices are likely to continue till July and August, provided it rains in June.
“It takes at least two months for the vegetables to grow, if they are planted during the June rain,” Dr Kumbharde said.
Prices of tomatoes have been fluctuating and currently, they are sold at Rs 40 per kg in retail, according to farmer Ravindra Kachru Jadhav of Chhehadi village near Nashik City. “This does not mean farmers are earning a good profit. As there is shortage of water, farmers have low produce,” said Mr Jadhav.
With lower vegetable production in Nashik, Mumbai’s demand is being met by Narayangaon in Pune and other neighbouring districts. Methi is available at Rs 15 to Rs 20 a bunch, but this bunch is half the size of the bunch that comes from Nashik, according to vegetable distributor Irfan Salim Sayyed from Kalyan. Mr Sayyed sells tomatoes at Rs 30 per kg, cauliflower at Rs 25 per kg, cabbage at Rs 20 per kg and gavar at Rs 30 per kg.
Meanwhile, onion prices continue to average Rs 200 to Rs 300 per quintal in Nashik APMCs. The production cost of this tuber crop is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,100 per quintal, which means the farmers incur heavy losses.
The present variety of onion is ‘unhal’ variety, which can be stored for several months. However small farmers do not have warehouse facilities and are forced to sell at low rates. A 50 tonne onion godown costs Rs 5.5 lakh and government subsidy is fixed at between Rs 72,000 to Rs 90,000 per warehouse.
