Over the past week, wholesale prices for essential kitchen staples have experienced significant changes. At Lasalgaon APMC, a major wholesale market for onions, prices have surged by 21% due to increased domestic demand and reduced supply. In contrast, wholesale tomato prices at Pimpalgaon APMC, a leading market for tomatoes, have dropped by 30% owing to a surge in supply relative to demand.
In Lasalgaon, the average wholesale price for onions climbed from Rs 2,725 per quintal on August 3 to Rs 3,300 per quintal on August 10. This price increase comes amid a decrease in onion arrivals to 9,000 quintals per day, down from the usual 15,000 quintals. The decline in supply is attributed to ongoing rains preventing farmers from delivering onions to the market. Simultaneously, rising domestic and export demand has contributed to the price hike.
On August 10, wholesale onion prices ranged between Rs 1,951 and Rs 3,368 per quintal, with approximately 6,000 quintals auctioned that day. Conversely, the average wholesale price for tomatoes at Pimpalgaon APMC fell from Rs 461 per crate (20 kg) on August 3 to Rs 350 per crate on August 10. This drop is due to a threefold increase in tomato arrivals, which surged from 8,000 crates per day to 24,000 crates over the same period.