Mumbai: The third day of the farmer’s strike created a lot of confusion at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) in Vashi, with rumours of the strike being partially called off spurring hope that the market might return to normalcy.
The rates of vegetables, which had already doubled on Friday, witnessed a further increase early on Saturday. “A bunch of coriander, which usually costs between ₹25 and ₹30, had gone up to ₹50-₹100 on Friday, and early on Saturday it was selling for ₹150-₹200. But as soon as the news of the strike being called off was flashed on television channels, the prices went back to what they were on Friday. But they were still not back to normal,” said Ramdas Pavle, a trader at the APMC market.
The market received less-than-normal supply, though it was slightly higher compared to Friday. As many as 256 trucks arrived on Saturday, as against 179 on Friday.
On normal days, around 550-600 vehicles supply vegetables to the market. Only 10-15 of the trucks arriving on Saturday were from Maharashtra — usually the number is around 350 — and the rest were from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and other States.
“We have enough stock to suffice Mumbai for the next four days at least, but the retailers take advantage of the situation and raise the prices exorbitantly. In Maharashtra, only farmers from the Sangli belt sent their produce to the market, with police protection. No one else sent any,” said Kailash Tajne, president of the Vashi vegetable market.
Vegetables like green peas, beans, carrots, little gourds and tomatoes reached the market, but most of the vegetables that come from Maharashtra did not arrive, including ginger, taro, beetroot, pumpkin, bottle gourd, long beans, ridge gourd, elephant foot yam and brinjal.
The market did not receive any onions on Friday, but on Saturday, four vehicles with onions bearing 12 tonnes, 61 vehicles with potatoes and one truck with garlic arrived at the APMC. On a usual day, 100-125 vehicles supply onion to the market, 60-70 bring potatoes and eight to 10 bring garlic.
“Though the supply of onions and potatoes has decreased, the rates have not been affected as there is enough stock, and customers are buying less amounts now. Usually, customers stock up on onions and potatoes in April and May, and avoid buying during monsoon,” said Ashok Walunj, a trader at the onion and potato market and former director of the APMC.
Onions are selling for ₹7 to ₹8 per kg, while the price of potatoes is ₹8-₹10 per kg.
“We are keeping the market open on Sunday so that farmers who wish to send their produce can do so. As traders, it is our duty to sell their produce.
“Though in the morning it was being said that the strike has been partially called off, by evening, the scenario seems different and it seems that the strike will not end soon. If it continues, the vegetable prices are going to rise even more,” Mr. Pavle said. Prices at the fruit and grain markets remained unaffected, even though supply dipped. While 253 vehicles arrived at the fruit market, 148 arrived at the grain market.
