The price of green chilli has surged threefold in both wholesale and retail markets across Mumbai and its suburbs, with no immediate signs of relief. The reasons, farmers and traders say, include low stock arrivals and rising temperatures.

According to Hindustan Times, the price of the crop has tripled from ₹40-50 per kg to ₹125-150 per kg in the retail market, depending on quality.

The report added that the price of lower quality green chilli in the wholesale Turbhe’s APMC market has risen to ₹45 per kg from ₹20-30 per kg a week ago. The cost of good quality chilli is priced at ₹75 per kg from ₹40 per kg in the same period.
Pradeep Sawant, a retailer in Vashi, told the media that the stock is perishing at a much faster rate than usual. Therefore, retailers have increased the price to compensate for the financial loss.
“Unlike other vegetables, people cannot really reduce the purchase of chilli as it is anyway not consumed in large quantities and hence the demand remains the same. People have no option but to buy at the increased price,” Sawant told HT.

Ram Yadav, a wholesaler told HT, “We are getting chilli stock from Nagpur, Gujarat, Palghar, Karnataka, etc., and the arrivals have reduced by almost 40% as production has fallen. The rising temperature is causing most of the arriving stock to perish on the way. Due to the heat, the chilli is drying up, turning red, and the overall quality falling.”