Even as the truckers have decided to continue their strike, traders at Koyambedu wholesale market are worried over the rising vegetable prices.
Since Thursday, the truckers’ strike had affected the supply of some of the locally-grown vegetables and pushed up their prices. Wholesale traders noted that the market received only 220 truckloads of vegetables against its daily share of 300 lorries on Monday. This had led to short supply of vegetables such as carrot, brinjal, beans and beetroot.
Lorries mainly from southern parts of the State refrained from transporting goods even though the Tamil Nadu State Lorry Owners Federation had announced that essential goods supply would not be affected. Dry weather and drought conditions in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were also cited to be another reason for the steady increase in the cost of some vegetables.
P.Sukumar, joint secretary, Koyambedu Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables Market, said on Monday, some vegetables, including cabbage, carrot, beans and broad beans were costlier by 25% than last week due to short supply. Vegetables such as brinjal and carrot were priced between ₹30-₹40 a kg. The prices doubled in the initial two days of the strike as residents bought more to stock owing to strike. However, prices of onion, tomato and potato remain stable. They are sold at less than ₹25 a kg in wholesale market as most of the stock is procured from Maharashtra and other parts of north India. Meanwhile, about 200 traders participated in a demonstration in support of the farmers’ demands for loan waiver and drought relief fund.
