Gaja hits supply of Pongal farm products to city

The usually buzzing Koyambedu wholesale market and the Kothawalchawadi market wore a deserted look on Wednesday. According to Koyambedu traders, Cyclone Gaja, besides the Delta, also affected Dindigul and Karur. Farms in Nilakottai, Palani, Athoor and Odanchathiram were also damaged and this added to the short supply of flowers, sugar cane, turmeric and pumpkins that flood Koyambedu during Pongal.  

“Farmers in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and central districts usually dispatch sugarcane, turmeric, flowers and fresh vegetables to Chennai market, but post Gaja the supply had been hit,” said K Jothi Raj, a whole sale trader in Kothawalchawadi. Kerala flood was also another reason affecting the inflow of pepper, coffee and spices, this season. The footfall in the area dwindled on the eve of Pongal and the trend is still the same, he said. The cost of pepper, coffee had already increased by Rs 50 per kg and now with the delta region being affected without cultivation the cost of rice bags will surge from 100 to Rs 200 per bag (75 kilo) and this will increase further for the retail market, he said. 

Most of the traders in Chennai’s Koyambedu market also closed their shutters owing to poor business and shortage in supply of farm products. “A bundle of 20 sugarcane usually costs around Rs 150 to 200, but this year the bundles sold to Rs 300 and this forced small vendors to reduce their intake,” said K Marimuthu, a whole sale trader in Koyambedu. Then to meet the demand, sugarcane from Madurai and Ottanchathiram was purchased, and this too remained unsold, he said.