The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vegetable prices come down

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vegetable prices come down

By K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI, JUNE 18. Vegetable prices, which ruled high a couple of days ago, denting household budgets, are now coming down drastically. The spurt in prices last week is attributed to fewer arrivals and lesser yields.

Tomatoes, which were sold at Rs.18 a kg in the Koyambedu market last week, are now being sold at Rs. 6 a kg, thanks to heavy rain in the neighbouring States. Tomatoes come to Koyambedu mainly from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. As the yields were less last month, only 30 lorry-loads came. . But, with good yields, the situation is changing now, which is reflected in the prices, traders say.

M. Thyagarajan, president of the Chennai Koyambedu Periyar Market Tomato Sellers' Co-operative Society said the non-festival season was also one reason for the dip in prices. The market received 55 lorry-loads of tomatoes today, which could bring down prices further.

Onion prices have also seen a slight decrease. A quintal (100 kg), which sold for Rs. 700, is now priced at Rs. 650, or Rs. 6.50 a kg.

S. Chandran, treasurer of the Licensed Merchants Association, said the prices fluctuate according to the arrivals. The vegetables come to the market from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

However, staple vegetables such as brinjal, drumstick and carrot are still high, mainly due to the poor yield. But most other vegetables are sold at Rs. 1 or 2 less than last week.

Carrot, supplied only from Udhagamandalam, costs Rs.17 a kg now. Though brinjal flooded the market, it could not meet the demand. What sold for Rs.1 a fortnight ago costs about Rs. 4 now. Cabbage was the only vegetable whose price (Rs.2 a kg) stayed unchanged since last year because of good harvest in Karnataka.

Green chillies and ginger also cost less now. Chillies that cost Rs. 10 were sold for Rs. 6 today. The onset of the monsoon in Gudalur has brought down the ginger price by half. As arrivals from Kolkata were stopped due to the poor yield, ginger went up to Rs. 60 a kg until a few days ago.

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