HYDERABAD: Ghulam Rasool, a pushcart vendor, who has been hawking in the streets of Hyderabad city for the last 40 years, had never thought that the volatile prices of some of the most common aromatic vegetables would one day start leaving a bad taste in his and his customers mouths.
"When buying vegetables, customers, regardless of their class and status, expect from the green grocer some complimentary coriander and green chillis, but sellers believe that since the use of all such items has increased unimaginably, it is not possible for them to give away these seasoning vegetables in courtesy," Rasool told The News.
Presently, the price of fresh coriander leaves has gone up, breaking all previous rate hike records of such items.
"Earlier, vendors used to feel easy to give away minor items like coriander, mint leaves, green chilli, and garlic. But now the prices of these items, especially coriander and chilli have gone up and we cannot afford to entertain with these even for Rs10-20," Rasool said.
Presently, coriander is being sold at Rs200 in wholesale market and Rs250-300 at retailer shops. Due to increased rate customers are reluctant to buy it. Therefore, it’s only available at major green grocery shops. Small vendors have stopped carrying it, believing ordinary customers seem unwilling to pay more than Rs20 for a little amount of coriander.
The street vendor said some of the customers throw tantrums while haggling over the rate of coriander.
"It is not just me, who is following this approach, majority of street vendors and small-scale shopkeepers are doing the same. In order to not to lose their customers they avoid bringing such items when their prices go up.”
Rasool justified it by saying that presently, coriander was the most costly item among vegetables and vendors feel uneasy to sell it at Rs10 due to its high prices.
Coriander is a useful item with its specific aroma. People use its leaves, seeds and oil for various purposes including seasoning and herbal treatment.
Most of the housewives generously garnish different meats, vegetables, and pulses dishes/curries with green coriander leaves and pinches of its powdered seeds to add to its taste and flavour. But presently hardly a few people can afford to buy it to enjoy its taste. That is why it is not easily accessible at majority of shops and selling points in the city.
Coriander leaves and seed powder are widely used throughout the world in salads, soups, pickles and different recipes for taste.
Street vendors and small green grocers say that due to volatility of prices of these items the sellers were not ready to argue and annoy their valuable customers.
Some vendors believe that it is not their fault as they don’t fix the prices of these vegetables. It is the duty of the provincial price control mechanism to keep a strict vigil and ensure the sale of all items at set prices to avoid any dispute among customers and sellers. Secondly, it depends on wholesale market, where prices of each and every item are set and later imposed on the vendors, who have no other option but to follow the same.
The prices of essential vegetable items are gradually soaring. Some customers link the prices of some seasoning vegetable items to Eid-ul-Azha, which is approaching fast. For example, tomato, which was being sold at Rs30-40 a few days earlier, has gone up to Rs100-120 within three days. Customers could not imagine why and what makes it happen within two-three days. Similarly, prices of onion shot up to Rs50-60 from Rs20-25 a few days back. Traditionally, coriander is winter product. Growers cultivate it in the month of November and the harvest is ready within 30--40 days are sowing. During its peak season in winter, mostly in December, January, February, and March, its prices come down.
Researchers link the price phenomenon to the water scarcity and extreme heat in Sindh, which has affected coriander like other crops. Green coriander plant is considered most sensitive
and cannot survive in scorching heat and high temperatures.
Some farmers in Sindh province took risk and cultivated it during the months of May and June in their small pieces of lands and their product was now available in the market.
Otherwise, water scarcity has forced many farmers to avoid cultivating this valuable crop in this off-season.
Due to its vulnerability farmers take precautionary measures to save it from blistering heat and rising temperature. At this time its earning ranges from Rs1 million to Rs1.2 million/acre.
No vegetable crop at present can match coriander in terms of its current market value.
During the winter mostly farmers in catchment areas of the River Indus cultivate it largely and there being an organic crop it does not require any chemical input. On the other hand farmers in barrage area use chemicals to save it from viral crop diseases and get higher yield.
Qasim Khoso, a farmer of catchment area in Jamshoro district, always produces coriander with other crops, mainly varieties of pulses, onion, and others during winter.
He believes that coriander is a valuable crop, which gives a produce (seed) of 15-25 maunds/acre. Its price in local market is Rs5000--6,000 per maund. Sometimes its price goes up bringing about a windfall for farmers.
They sow coriander in November and start getting produce in December, January and March.
Some farmers from the catchment areas take coriander leaves to local markets during the period and earn enough.
Otherwise, farmers leave this crop to ripen in fields
like wheat and other grain crops.
Coriander is originally known as medicinal herb. Its leaves, seeds, powder, and oil have health benefits. Its leaves are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and protein. They contain calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
Coriander lowers bad cholesterol and increases the levels of good cholesterol. Its powder is widely used to cure headache and is said to have a therapeutic effect on diabetic patients.
Coriander oil extraction machines are still working in some towns of the province where farmers take smaller amount of their product for getting organic oil for domestic purposes.
Due to its important aspects, in fact, there is need of research on this crop to suggest better varieties to replace the indigenous stock for better production.
