Temperature rise hits vegetable supply, leads to surge in prices
Traders said poor yield hit arrival of vegetables and expected to dip gradually which would result in an increase in the prices by 25 percent till May.
Visual from Koyambedu market
CHENNAI: As summer has begun early in the city, the prices of some vegetables have already started to surge due to supply shortage from other parts of Tamil Nadu and neighboring states.
Traders said poor yield hit arrival of vegetables and expected to dip gradually which would result in an increase in the prices by 25 percent till May.
The demand for seasonal vegetables pushed the prices up by 10 percent in the city markets.
Usually, the vegetable price will increase between March and May as the supply would reduce during the second crop cultivation.
"This year the summer arrived early and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka failed to receive rain in the last two months which has impacted the crop yielding.
Even before the first crop cultivation ended the perishable commodities rates increased marginally by 10 percent in the city," said P Sukumaran, secretary of Koyambedu wholesale merchants' association.
At present, the Koyambedu market receives 490 to 500 truckloads of vegetables.
The supply is expected to be stable for the next ten days, so prices would remain the same.
A kilogram of onions sold at Rs 20 per kg has increased to Rs 30 per kg at the wholesale market.
A 10 percent hike witnessed in other vegetables such as beans sold for Rs 45 per kg, carrots Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kg, beetroot Rs 30 per kg and cabbage Rs 30 per kg.
"The demand for watery vegetables such as pumpkin, cucumber and turnip has surged among the customers due to increase in temperature level in the city. Of which, the turnip price witnessed a sudden hike to Rs 50 per kg," added Sukumaran. From next month following the second crop cultivation commenced there would be further decrease in the production. It would lead to an increase in the price by at least 15 to 20 percent.
The retailers stated that due to marginal increase in the vegetable prices it has not affected the sale and purchase in the city. They have been selling additional Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg compared to the wholesale rates.
"There is a prediction that the rates are expected to further increase in the next two months. We are worried that it would impact the business because the customers would purchase in lower quantities," said T Krishnamurthy, a retailer at Tondiarpet. Meanwhile, the price of garlic has reduced to Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg from Rs 300 per kg as the supply increased in the city markets.