Chennai: The Koyambedu wholesale market was busier than usual on Wednesday, with a large number of trucks bringing in vegetables from southern districts. Trade observers say that in the past week better supplies had led to prices of vegetables decreasing.This is the first time in the last four years that supplies had been this good, they add. Trucks laden with vegetables enter the market at 4 am in a long line, having covered hundreds of kilometres overnight to bring fresh vegetables from southern districts and from other states in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
V.R. Soundararajan, executive member of the market committee, says, “The rains were exceptionally good for the vegetable producing markets towards the end of the year. “Supplies from Chittoor in Andhra and from Karnataka swelled.”Though this is good news for consumers, traders say that their transportation costs remain high despite the government having lowered the price of fuel.
The market receives fruits, such as apples, from as far as Himachal Pradesh, and potatoes from Uttar Pradesh. Transporting a tonne of potatoes from UP costs Rs4,300. As trucks start rolling in, the large sheds come to life as workers begin unloading the sacks of vegetables. By 6 am, retail traders start thronging the wholesale market. K. Rama, a homemaker from Velachery, says, “The New Year has begun well. “The prices of vegetable have been comparatively lower; I hope the trend continues.”
