A basket of various vegetables was priced at around Rs 560 on Friday at the Vacoas market. This represents a significant price drop for vegetables, amounting to Rs 135 less than the cost of a basket on September 8. This decrease is because some vegetables have become cheaper. For instance, the price of tomatoes dropped from Rs 40 to Rs 35, and squash and lettuce went from Rs 50 to Rs 30. This drop is because the prices of several vegetables have remained stable for several weeks.
According to the farmers, the price drop for vegetables could have been more significant if fertilizer prices weren’t so high and the weather was more favorable. “One moment it’s hot, and the next moment it’s cold. This variation in temperature, combined with strong winds, significantly affects vegetable growth,” explains one farmer. He suggests that like everyone else, he would have preferred vegetable prices to be more affordable because that would have allowed him to improve his sales.
He also explains that due to a “slight increase” in vegetable prices, farmers now have to go to the National Wholesale Market in Belle-Rive to get their vegetables. “It makes sense that they have to cover fuel costs,” he says.