Surplus arrival of veggies dips prices by 50% across TN

CHENNAI: It’s time to be liberal with vegetables, as the prices have decreased in the wholesale markets across the State, thanks to the seasonal cultivation in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

According to the Koyambedu wholesale traders, the cost of tomatoes, which was hovering around Rs 30-40/kg in retail price last week, crashed by over 50% on Wednesday.

The situation was such that the Koyambedu wholesale market witnessed the arrival of at least 8,000 tonnes of vegetables, bringing down the retail prices of vegetables. The arrival is at least 30% surplus when compared to the previous month.

“Cultivation has picked up in Theni, The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Salem, and Krishnagiri – all of them known for large tracts of agricultural lands,” pointed out K Arumugam, a retail vendor in Purasawalkam. “Usually, I give my customers free curry leaves, but since yesterday I’m giving extra tomatoes as the prices decreased drastically.”

Calling this a ‘seasonal dip phase’, SS Muthukumar, president of the Koyambedu Semi Wholesalers Association, opined: “Wholesale price of tomatoes was Rs 10-15 on Wednesday, and in retail outlets, it was sold for Rs 15-20 depending on the quality. Prices of other vegetables have also come down. However, the price will increase after around 20 days.”

Retail price/kg

Onion Rs 40

Chilli Rs 30

Carrot Rs 60

Radish Rs 20

Cabbage Rs 20

Brinjal Rs 20

Cucumber Rs 20

Chow chow Rs 20

Bitter gourd Rs 20