India, May 27 -- This May, vegetable prices across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have surged beyond typical summer price points. While seasonal price rises are common, this year's prices are 30% to 50% higher than they were last May. This price rise is being driven by a combination of an unusually hot summer, supply chain disruptions and rising fuel prices that were not present in 2025.

Unlike a typical season, where prices eventually stabilise, this year's market is caught in a high-risk loop: extreme heat is destroying produce during transit, and retailers are holding prices at peak levels to offset these losses - even though wholesale rates are beginning to cool.

Data from the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Va...