Falling food prices add to festivities
Traders say that prices will further drop as the ‘mala dharan season’ starts from the mid-October.
Vijayawada: The festive season has brought cheer to the people in more ways than one. Prices of vegetables and meat have dipped gradually to their lowest in recent times.
Traders say that increase of vegetables production in Mylavaram and nearby areas as well as the festival season are the reasons for the price drop.
For the non- vegetarians, Dasara season has always been a time to indulge as prices of mutton, chicken, fish and prawns fall.
By Wednesday, prices of vegetables and meat fell by about 15 per cent, compared to last week.
Traders say that prices will further drop as the ‘mala dharan season’ starts from the mid-October.
Shaik Dawood Ali who sells chicken at Ayyappajagar said, “There are several reasons for the price drop, the main one being the festival season during which many households avoid non-vegetarian food. But prices will continue to drop as thousands of devotees take ‘Ayyappa Mala’ after Dasara and avoid non-vegetarian food for about 45 days. We expect this trend to continue till Sankranti.”
Interestingly, prices of vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, ladyfingers, onions and carrots have also dropped by 20 to 30 percent on average since the last one week.