As supplies of horticultural crops from the villages in and around the Tiruchi district dwindle, vegetables prices there are soaring; yet shops in Triuchi's Ghandi Market are still reporting brisk sales.
Barring a few exceptions, the retail price of vegetables has shot up by at least 20 per cent over the last fortnight’s rate. The prices of a few vegetables have doubled on the retail market.
Retail traders at the Gandhi Market say that severe heatwaves have an adverse effect on the growth of horticultural crops.
The price of tomato has shot up from Rs.10 to Rs.30. Beans, which were sold for Rs.15 during January, now cost Rs. 70 a kg. “There has been a sharp demand for beans during domestic functions and other important occasions during summer,” says M. Gopinath, one of the dealers. The price of brinjal stands at Rs.40 from Rs.25 last fortnight. However, the prices of potato and cabbage remained steady.
Dheen, a carrot trader, says that the price per kg stood at Rs.20 now, which is Rs. 5 a kg increase over last month’s rate. Apart from the increase in the price, the quality of the vegetables is expected to deteriorate during the summer season, as the horticultural plants could not be adequately irrigated.
