Solan’s Red Gold Tomato beaten by Triple A Grade Garlic of Sirmaur

The North Indian Fruit and Vegetable markets are facing an acute shortage of Tomatoes and other off-seasonal vegetables seemed to be competing on the price front as the Red Gold( Lal Sona) Tomato variety of Solan district already made big holes in the pocket of farmers.

Fresh reports on the veggies markets coming here said that poor production of underground vegetables like Garlic and Onion in the region and the rest part of the country is also increasing the vegetable bills of consumers. A report coming from the Sirmaur district which produces the highest amount of Garlic in the country is having great demand as compared to Rs 100 per kg Tamto and Rs 2300 tomato 23 kg karate Garlic is fetching Rs 120 kg in the market.

In the Sirmaur district crop of Garlic is being done at a 4000-hectare area and a production target of 60,000 matric tones was being set for this ending season. The Tomato of tunes to crores of rupees was being sold however due to an outbreak of the disease in the Garlic crops there is an acute shortage of garlic in the market. The last Rabi crops were infested by the Yellow rust outbreak which dwindled the output from the crops.

The biggest Garlic consuming market is Tamilnadu where state underground vegetable has very high demands. The Triple-A Grade or Super Variety of Garlic is fetching Rs 120 per kg price. A number of trucks loaded with Garlic were left for Tamilnadu from Nohradhar, Rajgarh, and Solan vegetable markets to balance the demand and supply of the produce. Both the crops are Rabi season produce as the Garlic is sown in the month of October and November and Tomato in the February and March in the winter.

The Baduga Patti Vegetable market of Tamilnadu consumes most of Himachali Garlic and currently become the epicenter of the highest price market for the farmers and a number of whole sellers and commission agents lodging in Rajgarh, Haripurdhar, and Nohradhar and in other vegetable markets yards to buy the Garlic. The most of produce went through the auction and 50 percent of them are still stocked in Godown and are being transported to South Indian vegetable markets in double axle trucks.

Unlike Tomato, Garlic is not short self-life and fast perishable commodity as people could store it like a Cash crop for six to eight months when the market soars up and farmers started getting better prices it is currently sold from their stockpiles or Godown in the Rainy season. With the appreciation of Garlic Prices farmers of Giripar, Saindhar, and Pachhad selling their left-out crops in the markets. Last year the price of Garlic was not more than Rupees Eight per kg however this year due to the lean season farmers benefited from the good prices. Commission Agent at Nohradhar Mr. Ravinder Singh said that super garlic is fetching more than RS 120 per kg prices and currently three vegetable markets including Solan, Kullu, and Sirmaour districts are supplying it to the Baduga Patti vegetable market.

The demand for Garlic is heavy in the coastal area as it was the main ingredient in most of their cuisine including Sambher as it increase their nutritional efficiency manyfold.