VILLUPURAM/ CHENNAI/ MADURAI: The vendors and the public are in a state of worry, as the prices of vegetables have soared, with ginger sold at Rs 400/kg and green chillies at Rs 120/kg in Villupuram on Wednesday.“It is the highest rate for ginger in the last 12 years, and selling it for Rs 5 or 10 has become impossible. Even 100g has to be sold at Rs 35, which the lower income families cannot afford,” said K Murugan, a vegetable vendor in Villupuram market area.
The high rates for vegetables have affected vendors as the takers for the vegetables are lower, leaving large quantities of the produce going to waste. Meanwhile, the prices of basic ingredients like ginger, green chillies and tomatoes rising over Rs 100/kg has affected lower-income families who barely make Rs 200-300 income per day.
Small-scale grocery shop owner K Babu from Vandimedu said, “I used to procure 15-20 kilogrammes of vegetables from the market for a total of Rs 5,000 per day and sell them for at least Rs 7,500. But in the last week, though the procurement has doubled, the selling rates were lower than Rs 4,000. It is becoming unmanageable.”The rates had affected people across the state even in agricultural-dominant districts like Madurai.
N Chinnamayan, president of the central market all traders federation in Madurai, said, “The arrival of vegetables has faced a major decline over the past couple of weeks. Ginger which was sold at just Rs 90 to Rs 220/kg on Sunday this week has increased to Rs 150 to Rs 300/kg on Wednesday. Based on the quality of the ginger, the price differs, first quality ginger price has touched a new high of Rs 300/kg this week. In the last two months, the prices remain statuary at Rs 200/kg. Prices are set to return to normalcy once the harvest season increases the arrival.”In Chennai, ginger was sold at Rs 200/kg, beans at Rs 100/kg and shallots at Rs 150/kg. Green chillies were sold at Rs 180/kg.
Lower-income group hit
The prices of basic ingredients like ginger, green chillies and tomatoes rising over Rs 100/kg has affected lower-income families, who barely make Rs 200-300 income per day