Panaji, Feb 12 (IANS): The rates of garlic have skyrocketed almost fourfold to Rs 400 to 500 per kg in Goa, affecting Chinese cuisine of various fast food outlets and restaurants, due to shortage of supplies.

Talking to IANS, Hajrat Ali of wholesalers K.R. Traders said that as supply is very low, the prices have soared.

"We get the garlic from Madhya Pradesh... due to low production, the prices have gone up since the last many days. This trend will remain for more 15 days and then the prices may decrease," Ali, who supplies garlic to most of the places in South Goa, said.

He said that their business is affected, as people purchase in low quantities.

"Like earlier, people don’t purchase it in bulk. Thus our business has been affected. Such a situation had never taken place in the last several years, where prices have touched to Rs 400," he said.

Navahind Naik, owner of Padmavati Restaurant in South Goa, said that due to the increase in garlic rate, their business has suffered. "For Chinese and chicken dishes, we use garlic, but its prices have increased from Rs 100 to Rs 450," Naik said that they can’t get any profit if their items are still sold at regular prices.

The wholesale prices of garlic in North Goa too have seen a major upward spike, as it was earlier being sold at Rs 100 to 150 and now has touched to Rs 400 to 500.

"We are selling garlic by keeping a minimum margin for us, as people can’t afford it. We have regular customers of restaurants and other ‘fast food’, who purchase very less. They are inquiring every day about when the prices will come down," a vendor told IANS.

There are many fast foods and restaurants in the beach areas and also in cities that serve Chinese dishes, which are prepared using garlic.