The price of garlic, an essential in many kitchens, has nearly doubled within a short timeframe, and has surpassed ₹300 per kg in Bengaluru. The primary factor contributing to this surge is the inadequate rainfall in neighbouring States, leading to diminished garlic supply.
A lack of local availability to meet the demand has driven up the prices, traders said. They anticipate a continuation of this trend, projecting even steeper prices in the upcoming days, exacerbated by heightened demand during the wedding season.
Muniraju, a wholesaler at the Agriculture Produce and Livestock Market Committee, said: “Garlic supply for all of us comes from Gujarat. With the current absence of production, prices have witnessed a surge, reflecting the challenges posed by the current market dynamics.”
At K.R. Market, Naser Ullah, wholesale trader, said: “Supply has been low over the last two months, and customers have either stopped buying or are purchasing very small quantities. Last year, we sold garlic for ₹30-₹40 per kg, but the price rose from ₹150-₹160 to above ₹300 per kg in just 15 days due to scarcity.
In retail markets, many traders have stopped bringing garlic for sale from the wholesale markets. Lakshmi Devi, a local vendor in Cox Town, said: “I am unaware of why garlic prices have been rising so rapidly, but it has become difficult for me as I can only afford to buy a small quantity,” she said.
While consumers expressed their dissatisfaction about having to buy most commodities at inflated prices, hoteliers said they had no choice but to buy the essential at a hiked price. Veerendra N. Kamat, secretary, Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers Association, said: “We experience this kind of situation every year and after a month or half, the prices will come down. We still use the same amount of garlic as we did before, but we purchase it at higher price. We cannot change the price of the food items. The government should monitor this as there are many cases of artificial demand-supply. ”
Priya Desai, a customer in Cox Town, said: “It is disheartening to see essential items becoming more expensive. While we have grown somewhat accustomed to recent price fluctuations, managing these changes still poses a challenge.”
However, some traders believe the price of garlic will come down in a few days when demand falls due to hiked price. Imran Sayyed, a wholesaler at K.R. market, said: “Demand has already decreased rapidly, and we expect prices to normalise within 20-25 days, as soon as the new crop hits the market.”
