THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Saraswati, a 70-year-old vegetable vendor at Palayam market, has been waiting for customers since 8am on Friday. “Nowadays, hardly a few come to the market. The demand for vegetables has gone down. The prices of fruits have also gone up. Earlier, I used to buy a big sack of lemons for Rs 500 per kg. Now, I buy only a few due to the high price. A single lemon which used to cost `5 and below, now costs Rs 10. Nobody is ready to buy it at such a high rate,” says Saraswati, who has been a vegetable vendor since she was eighteen.
The hike in fuel prices has made essential commodities dearer. And with the arrival of summer, prices of fruits and vegetables have skyrocketed over the past week. Though fruits form an integral part of the Ramadan menu, customers are reluctant to buy them due to the exorbitant rates.
“The price of lemon has doubled and the demand reduced. Though it is Ramadan, and Vishu is also coming up next week, there is no demand for vegetables and fruits. Customers try to bargain and sometimes we have to sell at a cheaper rate,” says Chandran R, a vegetable vendor at the Palayam market.
Fruit vendors in the capital city say summer is when the demand for citrus fruits and watermelon increases. However, rising fuel prices have forced them to charge more from customers.“Fruits are brought from neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. And the rates increased due to the hike in fuel prices.
If the price of watermelon was Rs 16, it now costs Rs 25. Now, 1kg orange costs Rs 120. Seasonal fruits like mango cost Rs 200 per kg. Before the hike in fuel prices, fruits were in great demand. But business has been dull for about a week,” said Ujwal V, a wholesale and retail fruit vendor at Palayam market.
While vendors are facing losses in business, customers say rising costs are burning a hole in their pockets.
“Prices have gone up and a single lemon now costs `10. Since these vegetables and fruits are essential commodities, we can’t avoid them also,” said Rohini (name changed), a customer.