Green chilli prices in Pune have risen sharply in a week, with wholesale rates at the Market Yard increasing from Rs 40-45 per kg to Rs 60-65 per kg as demand from outside Maharashtra, particularly Delhi, drives larger shipments from producing regions.
The increase has pushed up retail prices across Pune. Consumers are paying between Rs 25 and Rs 40 for a quarter kilogram, depending on the location and quality of the chillies, according to a report by Lokmat – Pune. The rise has added another pressure point for household food budgets and for hotels and small eateries that use green chillies regularly.
The wholesale price movement was confirmed by senior commission agent Vilas Bhujbal and Amol Ghule, president of the Shri Sharda Gajanan Adte Association, as cited in the report. They said the wholesale price had increased by around Rs 20 per kg compared with the previous week. Ghule described the current price as roughly one-and-a-half times the rate recorded earlier.
Pune’s green chilli supply at the Market Yard comes from several locations, including other states, Nagpur and Nandurbar districts, and areas within the Pune division. The combined inflow is currently estimated at 14 to 15 vehicles a day. Despite this regular arrival of produce, prices have increased because rates have also risen in the production areas, the report said.
Demand from outside Maharashtra has become an important factor in the market. Large quantities of green chillies are being sent to Delhi, where demand has increased during the Navratri period. The resulting competition for supplies is affecting prices in the areas where the crop is produced and, in turn, at Pune’s wholesale and retail markets.
The price chain illustrates how Pune’s retail food costs can be affected by demand beyond the city. The Market Yard is not supplied only by farms around Pune; it functions as a distribution point connected to production centres in multiple districts and states. A change in demand in another major consumption market can therefore influence wholesale rates available to local traders and consumers.
For households, the increase is most visible in the small quantities commonly purchased for daily cooking. A quarter kilogram now costs Rs 25 to Rs 40 in different parts of the city, according to the report. The variation reflects differences in locality and quality, while the underlying wholesale increase affects retailers across the supply chain.
Hotels, eateries and other food businesses are also part of the demand base at the Market Yard. Their regular requirement for green chillies means that higher wholesale prices can raise operating costs, although the report does not establish whether businesses have passed the entire increase on to customers.
The immediate price movement is linked by market representatives to stronger outside demand and higher rates in producing regions. The supplied report does not provide a forecast for how long the increase will continue or identify a specific date by which prices are expected to ease. For now, Pune’s next price movements will depend on arrivals from producing areas, demand from Delhi and other markets, and the rates prevailing at the wholesale market.
