Prices of garlic, pulses skyrocket; send house budgets into a tizzy

The prices of kitchen staples like garlic and pulses have nearly doubled, causing untold hardships for the common man. Currently, the price of garlic in the wholesale market is between ₹150 and ₹250 per kg whereas it is between ₹300 and ₹400 per kg in the retail market. Traders claim that the prices will remain high at least for a month. The price of garlic depends on its size and dryness.

Vilas Bhujbal, a wholesale trader at the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee, said, “The garlic prices are between ₹150 and ₹250 per kg in the wholesale market. In the retail market, the prices are almost double. We have very little garlic production in Maharashtra and nearly 90% of the garlic comes from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (MP). These states have less or unseasonal rain which affects the rates. As supply is less and demand is more, it is natural for prices to increase. Garlic prices are high not only in Pune but all over India.”

Sonali Sonawane, a working woman, said, “Earlier, onion prices shot up. Not that they have come under control, garlic prices have increased. I bought garlic at ₹360 per kg. Garlic is an essential item in cooking. If I am feeling the pinch of the rise in prices of garlic and pulses despite having a good income, what about poor people?”

Rekha Waghmare, a domestic help, said, “It has become very difficult to make both ends’ meet in the last couple of weeks. Earlier, onion prices were high. Now garlic prices have almost doubled. We are avoiding eating tur dal and other pulses and thinking it is better to eat eggs than pulses. But considering the winter season, egg prices have also gone up.”

Grocery shop owner Mahesh Jain said, “As the prices of pulses – mainly tur dal and moong dal – have shot up, consumption is reducing. Earlier, I used to sell 20 to 25 kg tur dal every day in my shop. The quantity has now come down to 15 kg per day. Not only poor people but even middle-class people are buying less pulses. Earlier, the price was around ₹140 per kg which has now gone up to ₹190 to ₹200 per kg.”

Hotelier Sambhaji Patil said, “We need garlic, onion and pulses in large quantities and the prices are very high. We cannot increase the rates of the dishes but we are paying more for the raw material.”