On Sunday, the beginning of the Tamil month – Marghazhi – there was a huge turnout at the B.B. Kulam uzhavar sandhai.
With heavy arrivals, the shandy was filled with activity from as early as 7 a.m. Vegetables and fruits from nearby fields were fresh and affordable.
Ramachandran, a regular visitor to the sandhai, a resident of Viswanathapuram, said that prices of carrot, tomatoes were pretty cheap, when compared with last week.
It had almost fallen by 50 per cent in the sandhai. Similar was the case with brinjal and butter beans, he noted.
According to the agriculture officer K. Arumugam, who is in charge of the administration of the sandhai, said that carrot price was anywhere between Rs.12 and Rs.14 depending on the variety. Onion was selling at Rs.20 (big) and Rs.44 (small), potatoes sold at Rs.26 per kg, beans Rs.10. Cabbage, which had arrived in large numbers, was available at Rs.10 per kg, ladiesfinger Rs.12 and brinjal Rs.8.
As for fruits, the price of banana Rs 3 to 4 each piece, sapotta (Rs 14/kg) and guava Rs 35-40 was fast moving in the sandhai.
Many consumers claimed that guava was sold at Rs.45 and Rs.50 in department stores.
Almost a majority of the commodities prices had fallen by 30 to 40 per cent from the last week rates.
With absence of muhurtham (marriage or other festivities) and rise in the arrivals, the prices had come down.
But, the farmers’ are pretty happy since the number of consumers had gone up manifold.
On Sunday alone, an estimated crowd of over 5000 had visited the sandhai here, Mr. Arumugam pointed.
There are a little over 70 types of vegetables available in the sandhai, which is open from 7 a.m. to noon or sometimes, it is even stretched beyond that, he summed up.
