MADURAI: A surge in the arrival of vegetables led to a sharp drop in prices at the Madurai central market on Wednesday. Traders said that apart from supplies from Dindigul and Theni, increased arrivals from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka resulted in the reduction of around Rs 10- Rs 15 per kilogram for several vegetables.
Speaking to TNIE, Mattuthavani Central Market All Traders Association president N Chinnamayan, said this year’s Pongal turned out to be a surprise for traders. He recalled that vegetable prices had crossed Rs 60 per kg during the same period last year.
Usually, around 500 tonnes of vegetables arrive daily at the market, and during festivals, weekends, and holidays, the quantity increases to 600-700 tonnes. However, over the past two days, the market witnessed an unprecedented arrival of nearly 1,000 tonnes of vegetables.
He said the arrival of small onions led to a fall in prices, which are now ranging between Rs 40 and Rs 50 per kg. Eggplant prices have come down to Rs 30-40 per kg from Rs 50 last week. Similarly, the price of lady’s finger declined from Rs 60 per kg to Rs 50.
Carrot prices dropped to Rs 40 from Rs 50 last week. Potato prices fell to Rs 30-40 per kg, while cabbage is now being sold at Rs18-20 per kg, compared to Rs 35 last week. Drumsticks were the only major exception, with prices increasing from Rs 250 to Rs 300 per kg.
While the daily arrival of tomatoes usually stands at 150 tonnes, the past two days saw nearly 300 tonnes entering the market.
Jayanthi, a trader, said that tomatoes, which were priced at around Rs 50 per kilogram last week, have now dropped to Rs 20– Rs 30 per kilogram depending on the variety, due to heavy arrivals from Dindigul and Theni districts.
She added that this trend is likely to continue for the next few days. Sinthaiya, a local resident, noted that eggplant prices had seen the steepest fall among all vegetables within a month. Speaking to TNIE, he said that while prices of all vegetables had declined, eggplants witnessed a reduction of over Rs 30 per kilogram.
He added that eggplant prices usually remain above Rs 60 per kilogram and sometimes touch Rs 80 in smaller retail shops, but are now available at Rs 30– Rs 40 per kilogram.