Chennai: Demand soars after Purattasi, fish price surges by Rs 100/kg

CHENNAI: The first Sunday of the Tamil month Aipasi, which fell on October 19, witnessed a sharp rise in fish prices at the Kasimedu and Chintadripet markets, with rates surging by as much as Rs 100 per kilogram.

Traders attributed the spike to two key factors – end of Purattasi month, during which many people abstain from non-vegetarian food, and onset of Deepavali – both of which led to increased consumer demand.

After nearly a month of slow business, sales surged at the Kasimedu market but it was nominal profits for vendors. “Compared to last week, fish prices have risen by Rs 100-150 across all varieties. Around 800 boats, including fibre and traditional country boats, are venturing out and returning from the sea on a rotational basis,” said SRK Murugan, representative of the Boat Owners’ Association. “A shortfall in supply may arise in the coming days due to cyclonic conditions in the Bay of Bengal.”

Echoing this view was Siva, a retail vendor at the Chintadripet market, who added: “There’s always a surge in business on the first Sunday of Aipasi following the abstinence period during Purattasi. The market was crowded, and we expect even higher sales during Deepavali.”

At Chintadripet, fish prices surged by Rs100-200 compared to last week. “Seer fish (vanjiram) was Rs 700-800/kg, red snapper (sankara) was Rs 450, trevally (paarai) costs Rs 450, and pomfret (vaaval) was being sold at Rs 450-500,” Siva added.

T Nandha, a resident of Triplicane, said, “After a month, I bought fish for Rs 800. Prices have stabilised for now, but they may rise again next week due to weather conditions.”

Meanwhile, slaughterhouses across the city reported normal Sunday sales. “Ahead of Deepavali, many have travelled to their native places; even a local function at Goyathope also affected sales. We expect business to pick up by Monday,” said J Ramesh, a slaughterhouse owner in Pudupet.

WHOLESALE PRICE/KG

Variety                                         Last week(Rs)                         This week (Rs)

Seer fish                                        600                                             700-800
Red snapper(big)                         300                                             400-500
Trevally                                         250                                             300
Squid                                             350                                             250
Prawn                                           400                                              500
Pomfret                                        500-600                                      600-800