Veggie prices stable, Egg prices dip in holy season

Chennai: The ‘holy’ season has led to less consumption of eggs in the city with a fall of almost 10 per cent in consumption rates.

Mohan Reddy, zonal chairman of the National Egg Co-ordination Com­m­ittee, in Chennai, says, “There is an expected fall of nearly 5 per cent in the consumption of eggs in the city due to the Kart­higai season. All of south India is seeing a similar trend.”

The season is known for pilgrimage to Sabarimala which is the time most families abstain from tak­i­ng non-vegetarian foo­d. In the peak season, Chennaiites consume 50 to 55 lakh eggs per day and during November and December it comes dow­n to 40 lakh per day.

The shortage of demand in the south is compensated for by the bigger demand in the north where winter beg­ins.

“There is almost a 30 to 35 per cent rise in the consumption of eggs in north India. Going by the demand, we divert the su­p­ply more to northern In­dia. When this month is ov­er, supplies return to usual.”

With the rains affecting vegetable and fish prices, he adds, “The demand for eggs is not affected by the rai­ny season. As vegetable supplies get affected, people depend more on eggs.”

Fish prices in the city were at an all-time high, an average of Rs 300 prior to Deepavali, with weather conditions not allowing fisherfolk to venture into the sea.

The prices of onion were stable at the Koya­mbedu market for the past one week, staying bet­­ween Rs 40 and Rs 60 dep­e­nding on their quality.

The new crop is said to enter the market soon and bring the prices do­wn in December. The s­m­all onion is priced high at Rs 80 and is likely to incr­ease further to Rs 90 as fre­sh supplies are to enter onl­y by January.

V.R. Sounda­rya­rajan, a trader at Koya­m­b­e­du market, says, “Pota­toes have seen a signifi­cant rise in prices fro­m Rs 15 earlier this we­ek to Rs 28 as on Sunday.” Tr­a­de­rs say that they were de­pe­nding on old sto­ck.

Among vegetables, carrot, which was at Rs 35 a kg, was on Sunday priced at Rs 50 a kg at the wholesale market. Traders add, “ We get our supplies from Ooty and the rains have disrupted supplies.”