India, March 13 -- Farmers supplying vegetables to the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) at Shahpur and Kalyan in Thane district are facing a crisis due to a sharp decline in demand, triggered by the West Asia conflict and the subsequent domestic LPG supply crunch. A drastic reduction in export orders and local consumption is plunging vegetable prices to record lows, adversely affecting the livelihoods of farmers, traders, and others along the agricultural value chain.

According to farmers and traders, vegetables such as bhindi (okra), karela (bitter gourd), cucumber, chilli, ginger, moringa and capsicum, which were earlier exported in large quantities to the United States and several countries in West Asia, are now witnessi...