With 6,000-odd delegates for the 17th National Youth Festival arriving here, there was an anticipation of increased sales of vegetables and fruits. But that was not to be.
The festival has not created additional demand for vegetables and fruits from hotels and eateries at the Central Market here.
It is business as usual in the market, said some merchants on Wednesday.
Mahesh Sharma, a wholesale merchant, told The Hindu that it was Pushya month now.
Hence there were fewer auspicious ceremonies such as marriage. As a result there was less demand for vegetables from people. But there was no shortage in supply. Adequate quantities were supplied from Bangalore and Chikmagalur.
No leading wholesale merchants at the market saw demand for more supply from hotels and eateries. The visitors were not exceptionally large in numbers.
S.M. Ismail, a wholesale merchant, who agreed with Mr. Sharma, said “heat of the festival” was not felt in the market. Mr. Ismail, who has been in the wholesale business for 19 years, said the market got about 12 lorry loads to 15 lorry loads of vegetables daily from outside Dakshina Kannada. There was no demand for increasing the quantity of supply for the coming festival.
Ummar Farooq, a wholesale merchant of fruits, said the demand for fruits remained static.
Ravikumar Kakade, Executive Director, Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd. (DKMUL), said the festival had not created any exceptional demand for milk and milk products. The union would supply milk and milk products for chefs preparing food for the delegates. A situation had not arisen to procure additional milk from outside the union for the festival, he said.
Mr. Kakade said the union would sell its products for visitors at the festival.
Harikrishna Pai, Manager, Ideal ice cream, said there was no increase in demand. .
