NAVI MUMBAI, 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 30-50% 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 Vashi indicates that while the wholesale price of spinach plummeted to Rs.5 per bunch due to a sudden influx of stock, Vashi retail markets were still selling it at its peak price of Rs.40 on Tuesday. Similarly, cauliflower wholesale rates dropped to Rs.8-12 per kg, yet retail prices remained pinned at Rs.120 per kg. Traders described the month as unfolding in three distinct phases. During the first week of May, the Vashi APMC market received the standard 700 trucks daily, keeping wholesale prices stable. Between May 12 and May 20, extreme heat accelerated spoilage in transit, while increased transport freight charges for trucks created a bottleneck. The number of incoming vehicles at the APMC market dropped to 500, and wholesale rates of perishables rose, followed by rise in retail prices. As logistics normalised over the past few days, the Vashi market experienced an influx of produce. But vendors reported that a significant portion of incoming stock was wilting upon arrival. To compensate for these losses, retailers have adjusted their price points accordingly, keeping items like lady's finger at around Rs.120 per kg despite wholesale corrections....