Several tonnes of vegetables, flowers and other produce went waste at Koyambedu wholesale market as there were no takers on Tuesday owing to inundation across the city. However, wholesale traders noted stocks that arrived on Wednesday were almost sold out as more retailers visited the market.
Flood water in the Koyambedu market had drained by Monday. Traders had sourced vegetables from other states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. But much of the stock had to be dumped as retailers from across the flooded parts of the city could not visit the market, traders said.
G.D. Rajasekaran, president, Federation of All Associations of Koyambedu Periyar Market, noted that nearly half of the 4,000 tonnes of vegetables had to be dumped on Tuesday as there were no takers due to heavy downpour and flooding. The situation improved on Wednesday as nearly 70% of the stock was sold as retailers started trickling in.
The cost of several vegetables had also dipped as the demand had plummeted. The market received about 300 truckloads of vegetables. V.Soundararajan, president, Onion, Potato Wholesale Merchants Association said one kg of cauliflower was sold for as low as ₹15 a kg on Tuesday to clear the stock. Many retailers from areas such as Saidapet and Velachery could not travel to the wholesale market.
Similarly, green peas were priced at ₹30 to ₹40 per kg. The price of vegetables, including potatoes (₹18/kg) and carrots (₹30/kg) has also dropped. Traders expect the sales to normalise by Thursday as rains have receded in the city.
Published - December 06, 2023 08:36 pm IST
