According to Arun Bhinde, president, Bombay Commodities Brokers' Association at Navi Mumbai there has been strong export enquiries from Bangladesh for small flaked garlic. Bangladesh needs about two lakh bags (100 kilogram each) of such variety and has been able to secure only 25,000 bags.

Moreover, there are reports of crop loss in Uttar Pradesh which has fuelled the speculative sentiments of the market. Arrivals of garlic have been limited to half of what it was earlier. There is no question of severe damage to the garlic crop in the cyclone hit areas of Gujarat as the crop was already taken in the month of March, he asserted. There were reports thatJamnagar, the major garlic producing centre in the state has lost about 15 per cent of its crop in the recent cyclone. Prices of Jamnagar garlic has rose to Rs 1,400 per quintal, double of what it was two weeks back. Extra medium variety has also witnessed a rise of Rs 50 per quintal at Rs 700.

Arrivals of garlic from Madhya Pradesh has also been limited in the last two weeks. The prices of MP garlic ranges from Rs 11-12 to Rs 23-24 per kilogram which is substantially higher from the earlier level of Rs 7-8 to Rs 16-17 per kilogram. Ladwa variety has shot up to Rs 1,400 per quintal which was quoted at Rs 900 two weeks ago.

Garlic exports is also likely to be hit as the lower quality garlic produced in Gujarat and Saurashtra have been damaged due to the recent cyclone. Garlic exports during the financial year 1997-98 has been to the tune of 4,000 tonnes valued at Rs 7.60 crore which is lower than the previous in terms of both quantity and value.