THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Vishu and Eid celebrations might be dampened by a lack of fresh and quality vegetables due to the ongoing heat wave in neighbouring states- Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The sweltering heat in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has significantly reduced vegetable production leading to price rise and shortage in Kerala. According to traders, the prices of vegetables have been rising sharply in the past two weeks and during Vishu, when the demand goes up, the prices are likely to rise further.
“There is a severe shortage in the availability of vegetables because of the harsh summer and heat wave in neighbouring states. The quality of vegetables is also poor and has become costlier because of unavailability,” said M K Sakeer, president of All Kerala Vegetable Merchants’ Association.
“We often source vegetables from Mysuru and because of unavailability, we have to travel 160 km more to source vegetables from Chikmagalur. The wholesale price of beans is Rs 85 on Tuesday and it’s going to be Rs 115 on Wednesday,” said Sakeer.
The retail price of vegetables is going to skyrocket in the coming days. Owing to the Lok Sabha elections, the state agencies will not be able to make any meaningful market interventions to make available essential commodities and perishable goods at subsidised rates for the public during this festival season.
An official of Horticorp said that there will not be any special festival subsidy markets like in previous years. “Besides onion and other vegetables, we will not be procuring vegetables from other states,” said an official.
Meanwhile, the agriculture department is gearing up to make available local produce cultivated for the Vishu season including golden cucumber.
It is learned that there is surplus production of golden cucumber at several farming pockets in Kozhikode, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram districts. “We will be procuring the produce from the local farmers and make it available at around 300 outlets across the state. There are six world markets, 250 outlets run by the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK) and eco shops under Krishi Bhavans,” said an official of the agriculture department.
The move of the Election Commission against setting up subsidy markets for Vishu and Eid festival season has come as a blow to the consumers.
“Effective market interventions are not happening in the state. The state government is not keen on this matter and if they want to make available vegetables and essential commodities at reasonable rates, the efforts should have begun much earlier,” said Manoj S S, president of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti.
According to traders, the prices of essential commodities have gone up by 30 per cent in the past two years. State president of the Supermarket Welfare Association of Kerala Jorphin Petta said that the market has been down since last September.
“The average basket value has come down from Rs 300 to Rs 260. It’s a very negative trend. The Eid business is happening only in Muslim-dense areas. We are not expecting more than 5 or 10 per cent business this season,” said Jorphin.