Pune: A significant garlic shortage across India has caused prices to skyrocket, with retail rates reaching as high as ₹400 per kilogram.
To help stabilize these escalating prices, garlic is now being imported from Afghanistan and distributed in major markets, including Mumbai, Delhi, and South India. Traders report that without this import, retail prices could have climbed beyond ₹500 per kilogram.
The current shortage is attributed to a reduction in garlic cultivation during the previous season, leading to lower supplies relative to demand.
Garlic traders anticipate that prices will remain high for at least the next two months, until fresh domestic stocks arrive in January. According to Market Yard trader Sameer Raikar, the Afghan garlic imports have effectively helped maintain prices at current levels.
India’s main garlic-producing regions—Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab—saw reduced garlic acreage over the past two years as farmers turned to alternative crops due to low prices.
As a result, garlic cultivation decreased, contributing to the current supply shortage. Traditionally, the garlic season in India begins in January, but the limited stock from last year has led to persistently high prices this year. With approximately two months until the new season, supply remains limited, keeping prices elevated.
Key garlic-growing states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab, have scaled back garlic production in recent years due to unsatisfactory prices. Consequently, markets nationwide, including Maharashtra, are facing supply shortages.
Prices Expected to Remain High Until February
Market Yard in Pune is currently receiving five to seven truckloads of garlic from other states each day. The new season, expected to begin in early January, should ease prices by February as supply levels improve.
Given the favorable market conditions, northern farmers have reportedly increased garlic acreage this season, Raikar added.
