With rains damaging crops, veggie prices go up by 20 pc in Koyambedu market

Traders said the prices would remain the same for the next two-three days because the situation is remaining the same. On the other hand, the price and sale of fruits have witnessed a fall after Deepavali.

“The rains and festival season in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh brought down supply by 25 per cent while demand went up during the weekend, which led to increase in prices of all vegetables by 20 per cent. We are expecting it to come down only after Tuesday. However, the price of tomatoes and onions may double, as the stock has reduced again,” said P Sukumaran, treasurer, Koyambedu Wholesale Merchants’ Association.

Now, tomatoes are sold for Rs 60 per kg, onions Rs 40–Rs 45, carrots Rs 60–Rs 70, potatoes Rs 25-Rs 30, beans Rs 40, broad beans Rs 50, drumstick Rs 80, and capsicum Rs 100–Rs 110.

Meanwhile, fruit sales and prices went down after the festival. Normally, fruit sale would be high – and overpriced – during festival season and temple functions. This time, however, the prices reduced, which hit the traders who rued not being able to make any profit for the last six months.

“The sale went down this year, which has never happened during a festival time. During Vinayaka Chaturthi and Ayudha Pooja, we were expecting the prices to go up but they remained stagnant. And for Deepavali, the fruits market was deserted, which worsened during the weekends,” said Jayaraman K, a wholesale trader at Koyambedu market.

Traders are selling sweet lime for Rs 50–Rs 60 per kg, orange Rs 50, apple Rs 80–Rs 100, guava Rs 40, and banana Rs 30–Rs 40.