THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The meat and fish market at Palayam did not look crowded on a Christmas eve. Even at 4pm on Tuesday, shops were still open with few customers, unlike last year when most shops closed only late in the evening after clearing their stock.
The chicken has turned dearer with prices going up from Rs 80 to Rs 110 per kg over a month. Vendors attribute the low turnover to the economic crisis and customer’s reluctance in spending money.
Another reason for the poor sale at Palayam market is due to the faulty waste management system in place.
“People find it hard to walk through the market due to the foul smell from chicken waste piled up here. No waste management system has been put in place by the corporation. As a result, waste remain here till noon or night,” said Senthil, a meat vendor.
People find it more convenient to buy meat from supermarkets and cold storage shops as they can even get it delivered home from these shops. The rise in onion prices is another factor for the low sales this time as it is an essential ingredient in all meat dishes.
“There are 15 shop meat shop here. Whereas, only three such shops were functioning in the market about three years ago. So it is obvious that the sales will decrease,” said Raj, another meat seller.
Fish vendors too are a worried a lot. Elias Varghese, a fish vendor for the past 15 years, said he sold fish worth only `100 after sitting in the market for two hours.
“Two years ago, two hours of work on the Christmas eve could help me fetch `5,000. The fish called ‘Chennavara’ costs only `250 in the market. But people buy the same fish from Matsyafed for `350. People have lost trust in Palayam market due to the constant raids by health department officials for formalin content. Those who buy fish from wholesale dealers from Vishakhapattanam and Chennai sell at a
lower rate. But we can’t afford to do that as we procure fish from small-time sellers,” he said.