Depleting groundwater in major garlic-producing states in India is causing a sharp increase in garlic prices, reaching ₹400 per kg in certain markets. An uneven monsoon and poor rainfall have affected crops, leading to a decline in garlic output. Although the situation is expected to stabilize in January, with the arrival of a fresh crop, but prices may remain elevated until March.
Retail prices of garlic touched ₹400 per kg in some markets last week, especially in the northeastern states, up from ₹40 a year ago. Three months ago, when prices first started to rise, garlic sold for ₹150.
A patchy monsoon hit summer-sown garlic and onion crops in Karnataka and Maharashtra, parts of which received up to 55% and 57% deficient rainfall during July and August, due to the El Niño global weather pattern. The weather anomaly caused the June-September monsoon this year, which waters slightly less than half of the country’s net-sown area, to be nearly 5% below normal.
All-India average retail garlic prices varied between ₹230-350 over the past week, and even touched ₹400 in northeastern states. In Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur, the largest wholesale trading hub for the commodity, the costliest variety sold at a wholesale rate of ₹23,000 per 100kg on Monday.
[ ₹100 = €1.10 ]
Source: hindustantimes.com