Citizens bearing the brunt of high prices of garlic for the past few months may soon get some respite as the Kalamna market on Tuesday witnessed arrival of season’s first consignment of the kitchen staple. The retail price of garlic in the city has recently touched a record high of Rs 360 per kg. The prices are still flying high giving tough times to home makers. However, arrival of the kharif harvest of garlic in the city’s wholesale market is expected to dilute the prices. The first consignment of the commodity has arrived here from Chhindwara. Garlic crop starts arriving in the markets from mid January and it continues till March end when the supply is at its peak. Normally, garlic prices come down drastically in March and April.

 

Hence, the traders are expecting the prices to fall down in coming days, said Vishwabandhu Gupta, Secretary, Potato-Onion Adatiya Association, Kalamna market while speaking to The Hitavada. Garlic is currently being sold at wholesale price of Rs 280 per kg at Kalamna market while in retail markets the prices are still hovering about Rs 300 per kg. Commenting on the prices, another dealer, on the condition of anonymity, said low sowing of the commodity in Madhya Pradesh was mainly responsible for recent high prices. “However, from January end the garlic prices will fall because of the changed market scenario. India’s garlic export has dropped significantly due to which its supply in the domestic market has gone up and eventually the prices have started falling here,” he said.

 

The traders at Mandsaur mandi, the largest garlic market in India that sets prices of garlic, have also affirmed that prices will go down after January. One more reason market insiders are so sure about the price drop of the commodity is the prospects of export are almost finished. Chinese and Iranian garlic with bigger cloves has taken over the international markets. Also, their prices are a bout 40 per cent less than that of Indian garlic. Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of garlic in India, accounting for 62 per cent of the total national production.