Markets across the district on Thursday witnessed brisk sale of sugarcane, turmeric bunches and other items for the Pongal festival.
Right from early morning, crowds gathered at the Nethaji Daily Vegetable and Fruit Market and Uzhavar Sandhai at Sampath Nagar to purchase vegetables, turmeric bunches, coconuts, flowers, banana leaves, jaggery, colour powders, puja items and other essentials needed for the celebrations. Also, temporary shops selling these items had come up along the road in many parts of the city and in residential areas where brisk sale was witnessed throughout the day.
A pair of sugarcane was sold between ₹80 and ₹100 as traders said that they expect good sales till Friday evening. Depending on the quality, a pair of turmeric bunch was sold between ₹20 and ₹30, while coconuts were available from ₹10 to ₹35 apiece. Since Mattu Pongal will be celebrated in rural areas on January 15, traders said that sales will improve only on Friday in villages.
In Salem, huge crowds thronged the Uzhavar Sandhai at Suramangalam, Ammapettai, Hasthampatti and Dadagapatti from early morning to purchase essentials for Pongal.
Traders said that due to copious rainfall, sugarcane yield was good, but added that increase in transportation and labour cost had forced them to sell sugarcane for meager profits. Due to COVID-19 spread and restrictions, purchasing power of the people had reduced significantly, traders added.
They said that due to the prevailing weather and drop in production, the price of flowers had increased in January and will come down only next month when there is a change in the climate.
