Diwali cheer: Vegetable prices dip in Mumbai

Prices of nearly all vegetables at Vashi's APMC market have decreased, bringing good news to customers who have been battling rising costs of living for a while now.

The steady fall in prices - seen over the past three weeks - is being attributed to the abundant supply of vegetables in the wake of good rainfall towards the end of the monsoon. There has been a 15-20% drop in the prices of lady fingers, green peas, beans, coriander and cauliflower, wholesale traders said.

"We have been receiving large stocks of vegetables from farmers every day, thanks to good rainfall this year," said Nishu Sharma, a wholesale trader. "The price of tomatoes has come down to Rs 20 a kg - a move that has brought cheer to both customers and traders. The prices of green peas, beans and potato have also decreased marginally."

Every day, around 600-650 trucks with vegetables have been arriving at the market, said Ramdas Pawale, another wholesale trader at the market.

In the retail market, too, there has been a fall in the price of almost all vegetables.

"The fall in price, which has been seen over the past few weeks, is a good sign for all of us. Tomato prices had gone up to Rs 50 a kg a few months ago, but it is back to being sold at Rs 40 a kg in the retail market," said Rajesh Gupta, a retail trader from the sector 9 market in Vashi.

"Similarly, cauliflower, which was sold for Rs 50 a kg, is now available for Rs 35 a kg. The price of cabbage has fallen by Rs 5 a kg," said Gupta.