Vegetable prices show seasonal downtrend

Chennai: In what will come as a piece of good news for consumers who have been watching their monthly expenditure on vegetables carefully, given the volatile prices in the past few months, vegetable prices have been maintaining a downward trend in the past two weeks. Traders say that the prices are likely to remain stable through the month, better rains and good supply being factors in their favour. Fish prices, too, have remained low in the past few weeks.

According to traders at the Koyambedu wholesale market, most of the vegetable prices have come down or remained the same since last week.

V.S. Soundaryarajan, trader at Koyambedu wholesale market, says, “Out of a list of 20 vegetables, 15 are at below Rs 15 a kg. We expect the prices to remain so in the coming weeks, but heavy rains in the producing markets may prove to be a hindrance.”

He adds, “The price of beans has further come down to Rs 30 from Rs 35 a kg last week. Vegetables like cauliflower, green chillis, brinjal and green plantain, have been below the Rs 25 mark.”

Potato prices, however, have been at Rs 30 since last week. Traders say that a failure of crops expected from Karnataka has resulted in the rise in prices. Drumstick prices have come down from Rs 50 to Rs 30 a kg at the Koyambedu wholesale market on Sunday. Tomatoes have been priced at Rs 20, a slight increase as compared to last week.

K Bharathi, president of the South Indian Fishermen’s Welfare Association, says, “Less men are venturing into the sea with the weather not being so good. And nor has the catch been so good. The prices have been low.”

A Mahendran, a fisherman at Kasimedu, complaints about the fluctuating fish prices.