Consumers hit hard as vegetable prices swell

After struggling for the past few months when the prices slumped and business was sluggish, things are looking brighter for the traders as sales have picked up on increased demand in the past few days. They expect a further spurt in prices. 

The past three months saw low demand but high supply due to good yield, said a trader, adding that they had to discard vegetables in large quantities. 

“Now, the prices have increased. Green peas that was being sold for Rs 25 – Rs 30 per kg is now sold at Rs 70. Similarly, the price of shallots is at Rs 40 against its old rate of Rs 20-25,” said M Yelumalai, a wholesale trader. He added that the price of potato and tomato that had crashed to Rs 5 and 8 have touched Rs 18 and 15 respectively. 

The spike in prices is felt at the smaller markets across the city like Aminjikarai and T Nagar, where the retail traders source vegetables from the Koyambedu market. Consumers are already feeling the pinch, as the cost of vegetables have gone up by 5 to 10 per cent above the wholesale markets. 

One of the main reasons for the increase in price was the fall in yield due to the scorching summer and high temperature in the districts and neighbouring states, said VR Soundararajan, president, Koyambedu Vegetable and Fruit Wholesale Traders Association. This has reduced the inflow of vegetables to the market, he added. 

“We are observing nearly 15 to 18 per cent drop in the loads coming in,” he said, adding that the prices would go further north in the coming days. 

“One cannot forget the fact that the Koyambedu market recorded low sales than ever before in the past three months. It is a huge setback to traders,” added Soundararajan.