Depleting groundwater behind surge in garlic prices
Depleting groundwater in major garlic-producing states in India is causing a sharp increase in garlic prices, reaching ₹400 per kg in certain markets. A patchy monsoon and poor rainfall have damaged crops, leading to a decline in garlic output. The situation is expected to stabilise in January with the arrival of a fresh crop, but prices may remain elevated until March. China is the largest producer of garlic globally, accounting for 73.8% of total production.
Depleting ground water in two major producer states, which turns into a farming catastrophe whenever the monsoon rains fail, is driving sudden and sharp spikes in garlic prices, traders and experts said, describing the situation as an environmental-farming disaster that was long in the making.

Retail prices of garlic, a pungent bulb essential to Indian cooking, touched ₹400 per kg in some markets last week, especially in the northeastern states, up from ₹40 a year ago. Three months ago, the herb sold for ₹150, when prices first started to rise. Rates are expected to stabilise only when a fresh crop is ready for harvests in January, traders said.
A patchy monsoon hit summer-sown garlic and onion crops in Karnataka and Maharashtra, parts of which received up to 55% and 57% deficient rainfall during July and August, due to an El Nino global weather pattern. Marked by rising temperatures in the Pacific, El Nino triggers dry weather in India. The weather anomaly caused the June-September monsoon this year, which waters slightly less than half of the country’s net-sown area, to be nearly 5% below normal.
All-India average retail garlic prices varied between ₹230-350 over the past week, and even touched ₹400 in northeastern states, said Prakash Tomar, a trader in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur, the largest wholesale trading hub for the commodity. In Mandsaur on Monday, the costliest variety sold at a wholesale rate of ₹23,000 a quintal (100kg).
“Rates are likely to come down from current levels in January but garlic prices could remain elevated till March,” Tomar, a wholesaler, said.
The government and consumers alike have been battling high food prices for nearly a year. Retail prices accelerated to a three-month high of 5.55% in November, driven by food.
Garlic is grown in both summer (kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons. Traders say poor rainfall damaged the summer crop sown around July in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Maharashtra alone accounts for nearly 40% of the total production in India.
Farmers had to replant the crop towards September, when the rains picked pace. Kharif-sown garlic is planted in June-July and harvested in October-November. Delayed sowing has pushed back harvesting, straining supplies.
Garlic output has been declining over the years. According to official estimates, production in 2022-23 stood at 2.2 million tonne in contrast to 3.5 million tonne in the previous year. In 2020-21, garlic output stood at 3.3 million tonne.
A second crop is sown around September-November, while the winter crop is grown in March-April. “So, it was like missing one entire crop to a poor monsoon,” said KN Ravi, a trader from Bangalore.
While Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat are also large producing states, a shortfall in Maharashtra and Karnataka has exacerbated the crisis. When rains fail, farmers usually turn to pumping ground water but depleting subterranean water tables in Karnakata and Maharashtra hit garlic growers hard.
“There was no water at even 40 feet. The per-feet costs vary around ₹300- ₹500 and the more you dig deeper the more expenses you incur,” said Suresh Khadre, an official of the Bidar wholesale market.
Globally, China leads in garlic production, accounting for 73.8% of total production, followed by India with a 10.4% share, suggesting a huge gap in productivity.