Seafood turns dearer as Sabarimala-Pongal season gets over

Vendors at the market said the demand for prawns had increased and everything was sold within an hour on Sunday.The demand for seafood was more compared to meat items this weekend. “Many were on vegetarian diet for the last one month. So the demand was less and the prices were also low. On Sunday, more fish did arrive at the market and there were more takers too,” said Sivalingam R, Secretary, Thesiya Meenavar Sangam.

“Usually, we manage to sell all the fish and prawns only by 1 pm. But on Sunday everything was sold before 9.30 am. People bought popular fish varieties and prawns as they were keeping away from them for a month,” Sivalingam said. On Sunday, seer fish (vanjiram) was sold for Rs 800-850 per kg, horse mackeral (parai) for Rs 450, pomfret (vaval) white Rs 1,100, pomfret black for Rs 750, and red snapper (sankara) Rs 450 (big), Rs 350 (medium), and Rs 250 (small).

Prawn vendors in the market said there was much demand for prawns on Sunday. “For more than a month, there were no takers for prawns and we had to discard them. But on Sunday, we couldn’t meet the demand. Currently, tiger prawn is being sold for Rs 1,300 per kg, flower big for Rs 1,000 and medium Rs 600, Kalra prawn is fetching Rs 400 per kg, white prawn Rs 650 (big) and white prawn medium Rs 450. We are expecting the prices to further go up from Monday,” said Vishnu MP, MPV Sea Foodz