📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bhagyashri Wakhale
Food
Paneer Shortage Threatens Gujarat Street Food Scene
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 09 Aug 2026, 02:34 PM
👁 27
A sudden shortage of paneer has left street food stalls across Gujarat scrambling, as suppliers report dwindling supplies and rising prices.
A sharp decline in paneer production has caught Gujarat’s bustling street food vendors off guard, with many stalls reporting a shortage of the key ingredient. Suppliers say that the reduced output is due to a combination of higher feed costs and a recent dip in milk supply.
The impact is already visible in cities like Ahmedabad and Surat, where popular items such as paneer tikka, aloo paneer, and paneer bhurji are being temporarily replaced with alternative fillings or sold at higher prices. Vendors have expressed concerns that prolonged shortages could force them to close or permanently change their menus.
State officials are monitoring the situation and have urged dairy cooperatives to increase production. Meanwhile, some vendors are turning to local farmers for fresh milk, hoping to secure a more reliable supply chain.
Industry experts warn that if the paneer crisis continues, it could reshape Gujarat’s street food culture, pushing chefs to innovate or shift towards non-dairy options.
The impact is already visible in cities like Ahmedabad and Surat, where popular items such as paneer tikka, aloo paneer, and paneer bhurji are being temporarily replaced with alternative fillings or sold at higher prices. Vendors have expressed concerns that prolonged shortages could force them to close or permanently change their menus.
State officials are monitoring the situation and have urged dairy cooperatives to increase production. Meanwhile, some vendors are turning to local farmers for fresh milk, hoping to secure a more reliable supply chain.
Industry experts warn that if the paneer crisis continues, it could reshape Gujarat’s street food culture, pushing chefs to innovate or shift towards non-dairy options.