Signs of garlic price increase!

The price of garlic could skyrocket in the near future, warned the Spokesman of the Essential Foods Importers Association Hemaka Fernando.

He said this was due to a drastic drop in garlic producing countries this year.

Currently, the price of a metric ton of garlic is around $1,400 (Rs. 250,000).

This is a threefold increase compared to last year, he noted. In 2018, a metric ton of garlic stood at $ 450.

Garlic production drops in China

Meanwhile, it is reported that compared to last year, the garlic production in China has dropped by around 40% this year.

This was due to garlic growers in China not being able to get a good price for their garlic harvest. Therefore, they had opted for other crops instead.

It generally costs around $ 350 to produce a harvest of a metric ton.

Chinese garlic is generally harvested by mid May.

India, Pakistan face the same fate

The garlic harvest of two of the biggest garlic producing countries, India and China had also dropped this year.

Generally garlic is harvested in India by February, while Pakistan harvests their garlic crop in March.

Other commodities won’t increase

However, Hemaka Fernando said that other essential food prices are unlikely to increase in the near future.