Cut-Off Lahaul’s Vegetables Reach Shimla via Leh–Delhi Air Route, Sold at ₹200 per Kg

Due to road closures near Manali, vegetables from Lahaul were first transported by road to Leh and then flown to Delhi before reaching markets in Himachal Pradesh.

Prolonged and intense monsoon rains have clogged roads and caused crops to rot, driving prices of most vegetables sky-high.

Foreign vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, and capsicum are fetching record prices even in Himachal Pradesh, where they are grown.

A vegetable vendor in New Shimla, Hari Krishna Rathore, explained, “Cauliflower from Lahaul is selling here in Shimla for ₹200 per kilo because it is being routed through Leh and Delhi before reaching our markets.” His explanation came as a surprise to regular customers stunned by the steep prices. Vegetable rates have surged in Chandigarh as well.

He added that if vegetables from Delhi and Chandigarh stop coming to Himachal, the markets will be left nearly empty, as excessive rainfall has devastated local crops. Tomatoes, too, are being sold for ₹100 per kilo, though prices are slowly easing.

Even though road connectivity between Manali and Lahaul has been restored to facilitate transportation from tribal regions, prices remain exceptionally high.

Last month, when road links across much of Himachal were severely disrupted, the Lahaul-Spiti district administration arranged for farmers’ produce—mostly foreign vegetables—to be airlifted from Leh to Delhi.

Biru Singh, a farmer from Lindur village, reported heavy losses. He had cultivated cauliflower across 10 bighas of land, but the crop perished in the fields due to blocked roads. Many other farmers in the region are facing similar hardships. Vegetable growers like Ramash Thakur from Solan said that most farmers suffered huge losses this season.

Last month, most of Lahaul’s vegetables were transported by road via the Bara-lacha-Sarchu-Leh route and then airlifted from Leh to Delhi. Produce from the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti—especially peas, broccoli, and potatoes—is known for its premium quality and fetches good prices in national markets.

However, due to road closures between Keylong and Manali, only a limited quantity of produce could be airlifted through Leh, resulting in severe losses for farmers. Deputy Commissioner Kiran Bhadana confirmed that around 30 tons of vegetables were airlifted from Leh during the disruption. She further noted that farmers are now using the Manali-Kullu road via the Atal Tunnel to transport their produce. In this difficult period, special cargo arrangements were made to help farmers prevent their crops from rotting in the fields.

Pritam Singh, another farmer from Lahaul, said that since the reopening of the Manali-Leh highway, farmers have resumed transporting their produce via Manali and the Atal Tunnel, as long-distance transport through Leh had been far costlier.