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Vegetables get dearer as lorry strike enters seventh day
Traders at the sprawling Koyambedu vegetable market are facing a rather bizarre situation where rumours about price rise due to continuing lorry strike resulted in poor response from the public, leading to a significant crash in prices over the last six days. Now, with the strike entering the seventh day, prices have finally begun showing an upward trend, said wholesalers and retailers alike.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
On Wednesday, as the nationwide lorry strike called by All India Motor Transport Congress completed six days, vegetable prices increased by 20 to 30 per cent. However, added traders at the market, the situation was not yet as dire as being speculated, pointing out that only the inflow of the vegetables from other states was affected till now.
“Transporting tomatos from Tamil Nadu has been affected, as a few lorry drivers who are operating despite the strike are scared of violence in the neighbouring states. On Monday, about 550 lorries, including those carrying vegetables, were stopped at Palamaner in Andhra Pradesh. They were released by 11.30 pm.
About 300 lorries were seized on Tuesday,” said Thyagarajan, president of Koyambedu Vegetable, Fruits and Flower Traders Welfare Association.
Owing to this, the price of tomato reduced to Rs 18 per kilo from Rs 25, while the prices of carrot and coconut – which arrive here from other parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states – witnessed a steep hike. The retail price of carrot has touched Rs 50 per kilo at Koyambedu market, while that of coconut, which was sold at Rs 20
earlier, was Rs 30.
Potato has grown dearer, from Rs 25 to Rs 30, while the price of shallots has gone up from Rs 45-50 to Rs 60. The price of chilly increased from Rs 30 to Rs 40. However, ginger which touched Rs 110 per kilo two days ago, has crashed to Rs 70.
“There is no much difference in the prices of local vegetables like brinjal, bitter gourd, broad beans and cluster beans, as their transportation has not been affected by the strike. However, we can expect the price of vegetables like carrot, radish and peas that have to arrive from other states to go up,” said VR Soundararajan, president, Koyambedu Wholesale Market Traders’ Association.
“Some lorry drivers are risking their lives and transporting the vegetables through alternative routes so that the farmers and consumers are not affected. The government should intervene immediately and sort out the issue,” Thyagarajan added.
If the strike was not resolved by Monday, the prices would increase at least by another 30 per cent, warned traders at the market. The AIMTC is on an indefinite strike demanding a reduction in diesel prices and toll charges.
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