Leafy Vegetable Prices Surge In Pune: Coriander Bunches Now Priced Over Rs 100 

September 5, 2024

In the past week, vegetable prices, particularly for coriander and fenugreek, have surged dramatically, reaching Rs 100 in some areas due to a shortage in the wholesale market, according to officials from the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Pune and Naryangaon. 

The officials explained that this rise in prices is due to the imbalance between supply and demand caused by continuous rainfall in August and September. However, they expect prices to decrease soon as new harvests begin to enter the market. 

Balasaheb Konde, who oversees the vegetable section at Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard, mentioned to a city based newspaper that there has been a significant drop in the supply of coriander and fenugreek over the past two weeks, resulting in higher prices. In the retail market, a bunch of coriander was sold for Rs 200, while prices in many local markets ranged from Rs 80 to Rs120 per bunch. 

The city primarily sources its vegetables from 13 tehsils as well as the Ahmednagar and Solapur districts. The quality of the vegetables has also declined, with many coriander leaves turning yellow due to the rain. An APMC official noted that there is a high demand for coriander in hotels and restaurants, as it is a key ingredient for them. Consequently, any small change in supply can lead to an immediate price increase.

On Wednesday, the Pune market received 1.3 lakh bunches of coriander and 22,500 bunches of fenugreek. Balasaheb Konde mentioned, “We recorded a slight drop in the prices today. It was auctioned between Rs30 and Rs 45 per bunch, against last week’s Rs 60-70 range. It will gradually reduce.”

Meanwhile, buyers are frustrated with the price escalation. A working professional, expressed her concern, saying, “We cannot replace coriander with any other vegetable. The volatile price escalation of vegetables has become a worry for us.”