The question of whether garlic is a vegetable or a spice has finally been resolved by the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. In a ruling that ends years of debate, the court has officially declared garlic as a vegetable, allowing its sale in both vegetable and spice markets.This landmark decision is expected to bring significant benefits to farmers and traders alike, as garlic will now be recognized as a vegetable while still being used as a spice in cooking. Known for its strong flavor and versatility in a wide range of dishes, garlic has long been a subject of classification disputes.The controversy began in 2015 when a farmers organization in Madhya Pradesh successfully persuaded the Mandi Board to classify garlic as a vegetable. However, this decision was quickly overturned by the Agriculture Department, which reclassified garlic as a spice under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act of 1972.In response to this reclassification, the Potato, Onion, and Garlic Commission Agent Association approached the Indore bench in 2016, challenging the Principal Secretarys decision. The case took a significant turn in February 2017 when a single judge ruled in favor of the association, a decision that sparked controversy among traders who argued that the ruling primarily benefited commission agents rather than farmers.The legal battle continued when Mukesh Somani, a petitioner, filed a review petition in July 2017. This led to the recent verdict by Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice D Venkataraman, who upheld the 2017 ruling. The courts decision restores the previous system, allowing farmers to sell garlic directly in the market without paying commissions to agents.The court also clarified that while garlic is classified as a spice, its status as a vegetable falls outside the state governments jurisdiction for any further classification changes. The ruling concludes that garlic will remain classified as a vegetable for market purposes.
