Your humble dhaniya no longer free! Coriander prices rise above Rs 200 kg
Fresh coriander, which neighbourhood vegetable vendors routinely tucked into shopping bags at no extra cost, has become unexpectedly expensive after heavy rainfall disrupted supplies from major growing regions.
Coriander, once considered a complimentary addition to vegetable purchases, has now become a costly kitchen staple. This abrupt price surge is attributed to heavy rainfall disrupting supplies from major growing regions. Fresh coriander, which was previously a freebie among neighbourhood vegetable vendors, is now selling for over Rs 200 per kilogram.
The sharp price increase followed intense rainfall in Nashik, Maharashtra, a key supplier of green coriander to markets across northern India. Flooding near the end of July damaged standing crops and disrupted transportation, reducing the supply of coriander that could endure long-distance travel to Delhi. Traders noted that weather-related transportation issues further fueled the volatile price fluctuations observed during the week.
At Delhi's Azadpur mandi, fresh coriander prices rose to Rs 175 per kilogram, while retail rates earlier in the week reached Rs 220-230 per kilogram, according to traders. Mukesh Kumar, a vegetable trader at Azadpur, mentioned that wholesale prices during this time of year typically range around Rs 25 per kilogram. Prices briefly surged to Rs 200 per kilogram before settling at about Rs 110 per kilogram.
Earlier this month, good-quality green coriander had already become scarce, with local prices in Nashik nearing Rs 130 per kilogram, as reported by Krushna Borade, a vegetable trader and exporter from the city. Borade highlighted that supply from other producing centers, including Bengaluru and Latur, had also declined due to delayed rainfall.
The recent heavy rain caused extensive damage to coriander crops across several regions, making premium-quality produce increasingly hard to find. Karnataka has helped alleviate part of the supply shortage, but arrivals have been limited, and the quality of the produce has generally been poor. Nashik-grown coriander, once the primary source, is now sent first to cold storage facilities in Indore before being transported to Delhi, leaving the supply chain vulnerable to interruptions from heavy rain.
Aniket Kapadi, a coriander trader from Nashik, noted that predicting leafy green prices during the rainy season is challenging, as they can jump multi-fold within a day of delayed delivery. Kapadi, representing a group of coriander traders, concluded that the rainy season's price volatility can be significant.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
