Leafy greens, ‘gaunti’ vegetables become dearer as festival season begins

Team Herald

MARGAO:  With the festive season coming up, the prices of locally-grown leafy vegetables sold around Salcete have skyrocketed, throwing the monthly budgets of middle-class families into disarray.  

While most vegetables, including leafy greens and herbs, are usually brought into Goa from neighbouring Karnataka and even villages in Maharashtra, the supply of products is often hit during the monsoon months, resulting in a steep price hike. During these months, the local farmers who cultivate small patches of these vegetables usually come to the rescue.  

“This year, the gaunti vegetables have become more expensive than ever. There is also a poor supply of greens from outside Goa due to the rains, and it is becoming very difficult to manage the family budget while also ensuring the children get their necessary nutrition and fibre from these iron-rich vegetables,” says Panduram Naik, a resident of Margao. “Fruits have also become more expensive. This has affected the finances of low and middle-income groups,” he added. 

Farmers in Salcete traditionally grow vegetables like ladies’ fingers, brinjal, chilli, long beans, cluster beans, radish, cucumber and the popular tambdi bhaji in various places across Dicarpale, Fatorda, Nuvem, Agalli, Mungul and St Jose de Areal among others.  

At the Margao market, five to seven pieces of radish are priced at around Rs 30 and tambdi bhaji is sold in bunches priced at Rs 20 to 25 each. The price of 20 large ladies’ fingers is Rs 100. A bunch of long beans costs around Rs 60 while cluster beans are sold at Rs 50 per portion.  

Maria Rocha, a vegetable vendor from Borda said that the prices of locally grown vegetables differ from place to place. “In the main market at Margao, the same quantity of vegetables is priced higher than what we sell on the side of the road,” she said.  

She said that the season of growing local leafy vegetables is nearly over and justified the high prices because of the demand vs supply issues. “Nobody will be able to bring large quantities of leafy vegetables for many months to come. My family grows seasonal leafy vegetables and fruits for domestic consumption and does not venture into large-scale farming.   The size of our farm is small and we avoid using chemical fertilizers. We follow a traditional system of mixed cropping,” Rocha explained, adding that the tedious and expensive process of growing leafy greens deters farmers from growing them, resulting in a shortage.  

Concessao Pereira, a vegetable vendor from Gogol said that the prices of fruits and vegetables spike between August and December, which is the season of religious festivals culminating in the New Year.