Vegetable Prices in Chennai Drop as Koyambedu Market Gets More Supply; Rates Likely to Dip More

With the arrival of large quantities from different parts of Tamil Nadu and other states to the city's Koyambedu wholesale market, vegetable prices have taken a dive. Sources said the market received almost 5,000 tonnes of vegetables every day and the influx resulted in a drop in prices in both wholesale and retail sales.

With each vehicle having the capacity to transport 10 tonnes, almost 400 vegetable trucks arrive at the market every day, while some trucks can carry up to 15 tonnes. Over the past week, prices of most vegetables have dropped, save for drumsticks and shallots.

This pattern is likely to continue for a while longer, with prices scheduled to drop by another 10% by next week, said Treasurer P G M Sukumar of the Koyambedu Wholesale and Retail Merchants Association. He added that this was the season's first big harvest. Unlike the case in other state vegetable markets, prices in Chennai are on the decline, a Koyambedu market trader said. The most widely eaten vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, carrots and cabbage, have not exceeded Rs 50 per kg, added the merchant.