Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (MS)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Feb 4: The price of garlic, which is an essential ingredient used in preparing both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes, has skyrocketed in the past week.
The wholesale price of first grade garlic has touched Rs 435 a kilo. In the retail market, the same is being sold at Rs 520 a kilo while the second grade garlic is being sold at Rs 380 a kilo whereas in the wholesale market the commodity is available at a price of Rs 450 a kilo.
Traders say that the garlic prices had never reached this level during the last 10 years. The price had touched Rs 300 a kilo in 2013. After that large-sized garlic began to arrive from China and the prices plummeted.
The price of garlic was hovering around Rs 180 to 250 a kilo barely a month ago. Garlic is supplied from north India to the markets of coastal Karnataka. The yield is less due to inclement weather which has caused this sudden price rise, traders say.
Wholesalers are not showing much interest in buying garlic now due to the steep increase in its price. For retail businessmen as well, the price of garlic is seen like that of gold. Even a 10 gram difference in weight costs more than Rs 5. Some shopkeepers in the coastal districts have stopped selling garlic altogether.