The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tomato is no more dear; it is dearer

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Thursday, Nov 06, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tomato is no more dear; it is dearer

The vegetable, grown locally, is selling at prices ranging from Rs. 27 to Rs. 50 a kg

— Photo: K. Ganesan.

COSTLY COMMODITIES: A vendor selling vegetables at K. Pudur market in the city.

Early risers in the city have been confining their morning routine to a walk and buying milk in the last few days.

The added pleasure of buying fresh vegetables at markets on the way has been dispensed with, thanks to the prices of universally consumed varieties.

From daily purchase at farmers’ markets, vegetable shopping has become a once-a-week affair.

Tomato, grown locally, is selling at prices ranging from Rs. 27 to 50 a kg.

While it is around Rs 30 at the Central Vegetable Market, the price goes up as the vegetable changes hands, from wholesaler to middleman to vendor.

The difference in price is huge when compared to last year. On November 11, 2007, it sold at Rs 7.50 a kg at the Central Market.

Tomato is in the company of fellow vegetables in price rise.

Keeping close is brinjal, cultivated in villages around Madurai, which goes for Rs 30 a kg at the Central Market, ladiesfinger at Rs 30 a kg and sambar onion at Rs 20.

The rainfall in October caused damage to vegetable crop in production centres, especially in Dindigul and Theni districts.

This accentuated a drop in production triggered by power shutdown in rural areas, says P. Selvamani, a trader selling cauliflower.

On Wednesday, he was selling cauliflower at around Rs 20 a kg. Farmers and traders attribute the price rise to rainfall, power shortage and fall in arrivals from production centres around Oddanchatram.

“Now more vegetable loads go to Chennai Koyampedu market from Oddanchatram. There is no supply from other centres to offset the shortfall,” says B. Lakshminarayanan, a vegetable vendor.

Increase in freight charges is another reason, according to S. Raju, a vegetable seller in the K. Pudur market.

An increase in demand during the Tamil month of Karthigai also added to the uptrend.

He is hopeful that the situation may change by January when arrivals are bound to improve.

For a middle class household, tomato and brinjal have become a luxury.

Instead of buying one kg of tomato, now people go for 100 and 250 grams.

Bulk purchase is made only by hotels and hostels and for wedding feast. Even when one is prepared to pay more, the quality of vegetable is not good, complains a housewife. A kg of quality tomato sold at over Rs 60 on Deepavali eve.

A saving grace in this scenario has been the farmers’ markets located at Anna Nagar and Bibikulam.

The price rise turned buyers towards these markets where the rates were ruling around wholesale prices. Tomato, which went for Rs 50 a kg outside, was sold at Rs 35 at farmers’ markets. Now both buyers and sellers are looking forward to the Tamil month of Thai.

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