By P.K. Jha

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS): Garlic prices jumped up to 40 per cent in the last one month even after production of this crop was 76 per cent higher than the previous year.

On Monday, garlic price in Delhi was Rs 200 per kilogram. Meanwhile in Rajasthan's Kota the wholesale price of the best quality garlic was Rs 17,000 per quintal, meaning Rs 170 per kilogram.

In Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch, another key market for the crop, garlic was sold at Rs 8,000-Rs 16,000 per quintal on Monday. Traders said that prices of special quality garlic were hitting more than Rs 20,000 per quintal.

"Presently, 15,000 bags (50 kg in each) of garlic are coming in the Neemuch market every day and the maximum demand is from South India. In the past one month garlic prices have soared to Rs 5,000 per quintal," said Piyush Goyal, a trader at Neemuch market.

Goyal said the fields are water-logged after the recent rains that may delay the sowing of the crop. This is the reason behind the increasing prices.

Uttam Chand, a trader from Rajasthan, said: "The stocked garlic was rotten due to moisture after the rains. Now, there is less stock which is the main reason behind rising prices".

The prices of onions and tomatoes went up drastically in the last few days due to heavy rains. The onion price in Delhi's retail market is still touching Rs 50 per kg while tomato is being sold at Rs 40 per kg.

Traders said the late rains will delay sowing. In this situation people will have to depend on stocks till the next crop comes.

The lesser incoming in the markets may shoot up the prices, a trader said.

According to the Agriculture Ministry statistics for forestry crops' estimated production, garlic production is 28.36 lakh tonnes in 2018-19 while last year it was 16.11 lakh tonnes. It means the garlic production is 76 per cent extra this year.

India is among the biggest producers of garlic in the world while China tops the list.