Navi Mumbai: A day after the bandh called by farmers, the APMC markets in Vashi on Tuesday saw a surprising arrival of 1,232 trucks carrying vegetables, fruits, grains, spices, potato, onions, and garlic. However, there were no noticeable change in the wholesale rates, except for a few vegetables. Instead, there were a few vegetables that saw rise in prices by ₹2-3.
Of the 1,232 trucks, 442 were of vegetables, 365 fruits, 200 grains, 86 onion, 55 potato, 12 of garlic, and 72 were of spices. Of 442 trucks of vegetables, around 250 were from different parts of Maharashtra, while the rest were from outside the state.
The vegetables that did not come on Tuesday are gooseberry, long beans, bottle gourd, elephant foot yam, brinjal, curry leaves, and other leafy vegetables that come from Nashik. Besides, beetroot, lemon, and ginger were less in supply. Supply from Nashik was very less, while it was as usual from Pune, Khed, Sangamner, Sangli and Akola.
patient hearing: Farmer leaders discussing their issues with MNS chief Raj Thackeray at Krishna Kunj in Dadar on Tuesday.
While the price of potato was ₹7 to ₹9, onion had increased to ₹10-11 from ₹7-9 per kg. “Potato being entirely supplied from outside, there is no impact on its price,” said Ashok Walunj, a trader of onion-potato market and ex-director of APMC.
“Farmers send their produce notwithstanding the strike and bandh as those are perishable. The strike has brought a fluctuation in the prices, but has not really affected the supply. There is enough supply to cater to Mumbai division,” said an official from APMC vegetable market.
Mumbai needs 1,800 tonnes of vegetables daily, of which 1,300 tonnes are provided by the APMC market. Around 150 trucks are directly sent to Byculla, Dadar, Borivali and Dahisar by farmers, of which around 50 to 70 trucks provide vegetables to Reliance, More and Big Bazar. Of the total vegetables, 60% come from various places in the State.
