CHENNAI: The home of K Saraswathy and her husband, both daily wage labourers, wears a dull look. The price hike in the rates of basic vegetables has become a nightmare for Saraswathy. The upcoming Tamil New Year weekend will do little to cheer them up.
Steep rise
“Prices generally go up from April onwards,” says TS Sukumaran, a vegetable vendor at the Koyambedu market. “What is setting off alarm bells this time is that most of the vegetables, barring a few, are reasonably priced. Coupled with the poor rains that we received last year, this is going to be a long and hard summer for everyone.” Beans are selling at Rs 80 and even touched Rs 90 per kg last week, vendors at the Koyambedu Wholesale Market said. In retail stores, the rate of beans was as high as Rs 185 for a kg on Wednesday. Traders said prices may continue to soar till supplies improve, which they hope will happen in the next couple of months. “Prices are definitely impacted by things like poor rainfall and high fuel costs,” says R Kalyani, a fruit seller at the Thiruvanmiyur market.
“Customers think we are out to make them pay through their nose for fruits and vegetables. What they don’t realise is that we feel the pinch just as much as they do. I have reduced the amount of fruits I buy for my children because it is getting too expensive for me to afford. I’d much rather use the money for vegetables and grains. But now the mango season is beginning and my children love it, so I guess I will have to keep aside some money for that. They never ask for anything so how can I deny them some mangoes?”
Costly celebration
It isn’t just Kalyani who is making changes in her budgetary allotments for fruits and vegetables. “I dread every summer because the prices start going up and this summer is no different,” says K Rekha, a homemaker who resides in Mylapore. Mango being a summer favourite is also a popular ingredient in the sweet dishes for the festival. However, with the prices of mangoes being quite high, many people are giving it a ditch this time around. “Fruits are expensive and not everyone can spend on them,” said A Kamachi, who works as a daily wage labourer.
“My family loves eating mango pachadi but the rates are really high so I substitute it with banana instead and while it isn’t anywhere close to the same flavour, it still is a treat for us. Ever since we came to the city in search of jobs, our lives are a lot harder because we are always short of money and time but we try and do the best we can for festivals. It is after all the only time we don’t feel guilty spending a little extra.”
Low-key new year
The sentiments echo across economic sections of the city. “I have been buying my fruits and vegetables from the Mylapore market for years and know the vendors personally. They have been warning me that with the way things are in terms of the water issue and the fuel prices, the situation will just get worse going forward. It is not just the heat that we need to worry about, we have to watch out for soaring prices, too,” says Rekha. The Tamil New Year is just a day away, however, the celebratory mood looks gloomy. “What celebration?” asks Saraswathy.
“I used to farm with my husband but because of lack of rains, we stopped cultivation and shifted to the city. Now we do have some work or the other that keeps us going, but we don’t have enough money to get by. I remember no matter what happened, our New Year celebrations used to be top class. This time it is going to be a simple affair because everything has become so expensive.” “Flower rates always go up during festivals because the demand is high,” says a vendor at the Thiruvanmiyur market. “This year is no different, but the rates are not anything that people need to worry about. It is also the only time people buy in bulk to decorate their houses so they don’t mind spending a little extra on flowers.”