Sun Nov 17 07:59:13 UTC 2024: **Avarekai Prices Soar in Bengaluru Due to Delayed Harvest**
Bengaluru, November 17, 2024 – The price of avarekai (hyacinth beans), a winter staple in Bengaluru, has skyrocketed in recent weeks due to a delayed harvest, leaving consumers facing significantly higher costs. While prices have recently fallen to ₹70-₹85 per kg for avarekai and ₹100-₹120 for peeled beans, they reached record highs of ₹130-₹150 per kg and ₹700 per kg for the processed dal, respectively, a few weeks ago.
Farmers attribute the delay to unpredictable weather patterns. Unusually heavy rainfall earlier this month caused many flowers to drop before they could develop into beans, pushing back the harvest by approximately 15 days. While this year’s crop is better than last year’s drought-stricken yield, it’s still considered “ordinary,” with many farmers in Chikkaballapur reporting damage to their saplings due to August’s heavy rains. Many farmers in this region cultivate avarekai alongside ragi, making them particularly vulnerable to adverse weather conditions.
Most avarekai in Bengaluru originates from Magadi, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Hunsur, Ranibennur, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. While avarekai is available year-round due to mixed cultivation, consumers note that beans grown outside the winter months lack the distinctive aroma of the seasonal crop. Further rainfall could delay the harvest until late January or early February, according to farmers. However, traders anticipate prices will stabilize around ₹40 per kg once supplies increase, likely by the end of November or early December.
First Piper 