Following a demand from fruit merchants, the Madhavaram temporary market will remain open till afternoon due to the festive season.
This was decided at a meeting held in the market on Thursday. Wholesale merchants said the market would allow up to 250 vehicles daily as festive days are near. S. Srinivasan, president, Chennai Fruits Commission Agents’ Association, said, “We are now open till 9 a.m. But we requested an extension as more trucks will arrive to meet the increasing demand due to the festivals.”
It would be difficult to manage the trucks in the small space allotted in the temporary market. So, the merchants had sought more time for sales. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has now extended business hours till 2 p.m. till Sunday, he said.
The fruits merchants also demanded that the market be shifted to the Koyambedu complex like the vegetable and food grains market. It may be recalled that the 200 shops were allotted in the Madhavaram market in May after Koyambedu market was closed as it turned out to be a COVID-19 hotspot.
Sources in the Koyambedu Market Management Committee said there could be an announcement on the reopening of other sections of the market next week.
Meanwhile, more Egyptian onions started arriving to the market as five containers had come to the city. This was expected to control the escalating price of onions, sources said.
