APMC traders suffering heavy losses due to incessant rains

Though the recent downpour has brought smiles to the faces of Mumbaikars, and propelled the civic body into reducing the water cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, it has left traders at the Vashi APMC market in dismay.

Traders complain that delays in receiving fruit consignments, due to rains, result in spoiling of the produce and reduction of its shelf life. Pic/Sameer Markande

Those dealing in perishable goods, including fruits and vegetables, complained that the downpour is taking its toll on supplies coming to the market. They claimed over 30 per cent of the produce was getting damaged while being transported.

Babubhai Jaiswal, a fruit trader, said, "Normally, produce coming from the northern states takes 2 to 3 days to reach the market. But, with heavy rains, goods are getting spoilt during the journey. Moreover, the delay in supply results in fruits ripening before reaching us, and, therefore, we can't store them for more than a day."

Traders added they had no option but to dispose of the produce, as no one purchases semi-damaged fruits. Another trader said people choose to remain indoors during heavy rains, which results in poor sales and spoiling of the stock.

Another trader Suresh Jain lamented about the financial losses dealers incur due to heavy rains. "Today, I suffered a loss of R20,000. My consignment of pear fruit got damaged due to a delay in reaching the market. Hence, not many people purchased my stock."

A lesser pinch
Apart from fruits, vegetables, too, are getting damaged during transportation. However, the losses incurred by vegetable traders are less in comparison to the ones suffered by those dealing in fruits.

Ramdas Pawale, a vegetable trader at the APMC market, said, "Vegetables do get damaged during heavy rains, especially if the consignment is coming from states like Himachal Pradesh or Kerala. However, the damage doesn't exceed 4 per cent to 5 per cent, as most of the vegetables come from within the state."