Vegetable prices, which rattled households for several months, have started stabilising. The decline in the cost of many vegetables is nearly half when compared to the prices in January.
Many visitors to the Koyambedu market said large portions of mint and coriander leaves were also being given free of cost when they purchased vegetables. Curry leaves continue to be expensive with a bunch priced Rs.10 owing to shortfall in supply.
G. Chandra, a resident of Koyambedu, said, “When I visited the market last month, I paid Rs.7 for the same quantity of coriander leaves, which was given free of cost on Wednesday. As the prices of the vegetables are less, I bought twice the quantity as you never know when the prices will go up.”
Vendors said many customers filled their bags with vegetables, whose prices have dropped sharply in the recent weeks.
S. Marimuthu, a wholesale vendor, said a 50-kg bag of brinjals, is sold at Rs.100-Rs.150 at the market. A sack containing 12 cauliflowers is sold at Rs.80-Rs.100.
With more arrivals from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the past week, a sack of mint and coriander leaves is sold at Rs.20.
Two bunches of coriander leaves come for Rs.1 to Rs.2, he said. But, the price of curry leaves is likely to rule high for another month with a 5-kg bag of curry leaves costing Rs.200.
According to V.R. Soundararajan, adviser to theKoyambedu Wholesale Onion Traders' Association, the price of onions, which soared to Rs.100 a kg two months ago, is now Rs.15 in the wholesale market and Rs.20 in retail shops.
Tomatoes are sold at Rs.15 a kg. Even carrots, drumsticks and broad beans, which are relatively expensive, are priced between Rs.10 to Rs.12 a kg in the wholesale market. The number of lorries transporting produce to the market has increased to 350 now from 200 last month, he added.
However, consumers complained that the retail prices of some vegetables, including beans, potato and carrot, remain high. There is at least a difference of Rs.10 a kg. While the wholesale rate of one kg of potato is Rs.13, the retail shops sell them at Rs.26, said R.Kavitha, a resident of Perambur.
