Stockpiling potatoes, onions and the like

Question

Question: At harvest time ‘Umar buys vegetables — for example potatoes, taro, onions and the like — and when the harvest season has passed he sells them, since the said goods then become expensive. Does the described case not fall under ihtikar (hoarding)?

Answer

If his buying causes harm to the people of the town — the item becomes scarce or becomes expensive — then this falls under ihtikar and is forbidden; if it causes no harm, it is not forbidden. [ar]وكره احتكار قوت البشر كتين وعنب ولوز، والبهائم كتبن وقت، في بلد يضر بأهله؛ لحديث: الجالب مرزوق والمحتكر ملعون، فإن لم يضر لم يكره[/ar] “Hoarding the food of humans (qut)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.