CHENNAI: Vegetable prices in the Koyambedu market remained high on Wednesday with the strike of a section of lorry owners association entering the third day. However, the prices of a few vegetables including chilli, carrot and beans had fallen as a large number of local traders did not turn up.
According to traders, prices of brinjal increased to `35 a kg, while tomatoes were sold at `25 a kg. Onions and potatoes were sold at `30 and `25 per kg respectively.
V R Soundararajan, adviser to the Koyambedu Wholesale Vegetable Traders Association, told that the prices of essential vegetables including tomato, onions, beans and ladies finger remained stable. “About 40 traders from Ayanavaram, Chintadripet, Saidapet, Thiruvanmiyur, Broadway and Kasimedu markets, who procure vegetables regularly from the Koyambedu whole sale market, did not buy vegetables for fear of high prices. So, we were forced to sell commodities at regular prices.”
He pointed out that if the strike continued for another two days, then the prices of vegetable would increase steeply. “The demand has not increased for the past two to three days, as a result of which truckers could not make any impact,” said a trader of the wholesale market welfare association.
Lorry-owners, affiliated to the AICGVOA, went on strike since Monday.