Delay in the start of harvesting season across the eastern and western states as a consequence of unseasonal rainfall and reduction in diesel prices kept the truck rentals on major routes across the country almost flat in April, data from Indian Foundation for Transport Research and Training have showed.
The good supply of seasonal fruits and vegetables, along with steady supply of cargo from the manufacturing and infrastructure sector, enabled the truckers to hold on to the rentals in the first month of the current fiscal.
Sanjay Singh, senior fellow, IFTRT, said that cotton harvesting in Maharashtra and wheat harvesting in the northern states got delayed by 2-3 weeks which kept the rentals at the same level.
“The unseasonal rainfall in March and April is going to have overall negative impact on the summer season due to lower arrivals for fruits and vegetables in next 8-10 weeks. The employment to truckers from wheat harvesting states is also going to be lower by next month-end as wheat procurement agencies expect almost 10%-15% lower procurement in the days to come,” Singh said.
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