On Saturday afternoon, a group of people from Technopark rushed to a wholesale grain shop in the Chala market asking for flattened rice for dispatch to flood-affected areas. They had already inquired at Kothuval street, but had come up empty-handed. The trader informed them that flattened rice was hard to come by in the Chala market.
With people purchasing kits containing rice, semolina, flattened rice, biscuits and so on as flood relief for the past couple of days, the market is running short of them.
Traders said they had run out of red rice stock. One because it was being purchased in bulk for transportation to flood-hit areas. Two, because stock was not reaching the market from Palakkad as roads were bad and there were not enough trucks available.
Flood relief items
“Whatever business is happening in Chala is not Onam-related. It is mostly for flood relief operations,” says Gauthaman A.K., a trader. Every Onam, they would get orders from the city Corporation for distribution of kits in connection with Onam, but that too had not happened this year, he said.
Jaggery, salt, sugar, bread, and instant food were other products that were being purchased for relief work.
“We are staring at a shortage of products such as rice, both red and white, and flattened rice. This is owing to bulk purchases and non-arrival of fresh loads. However, pulses and lentils are in stock. Prices too are stable,” said another trader near the Chala vegetable market.
There was also good demand for footwear, mats, and clothes.
Vegetable prices, however, were a tad higher as trucks from Mettupalayam or Pollachi had to take circuitous routes to reach the city, a vegetable wholesale dealer said. Another wholesale dealer said prices were mostly stable. However, ginger prices were on the rise as these came from Wayanad.
Potato arrivals from Gujarat were regular, but those from Hassan were not coming via Alappuzha and Ernakulam, he said.