Vegetables prices up after rain in Madurai, hills

CHENNAI: Heavy rain in places like Madurai and Kodaikanal from where the city gets some of its vegetables led to an increase in prices at the Koyambedu Wholesale Vegetable and Fruit Market on Monday.
Subsequently, there was a cascading effect in retail markets where vegetables like carrot, beans and broad beans sold for as much as 110 a kg.
A kg of brinjal cost 60-70 at the wholesale market, while retail outlets sold it at 90 a kg.
S Saravanan, a wholesaler at the Koyambedu market, said the price of tomatoes had gone up to 25 a kg due to heavy rain in Mulbagal in Karnataka and Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh from where most of the stock came.
P Arumugam, another wholesale trader, said the prices would continue to soar in the rainy season. There will be a drop in prices only after about three months, said Saravanan.
Saravanan said rain in Madurai and surrounding districts was the main reason for the high prices. "Subsequently, to avoid losses, farmers harvest even tender ones, leading to soaring demand and high prices," he said.
Kodaikanal is the biggest supplier of potatoes, carrots, beans, beetroot and radish in the city. Brinjals, ladies finger (okra), bitter gourd and raw bananas come from villages in Madurai district.
While rain has resulted in lower output, the difficulty in transportation was another issue during this season and played a key role in the price increase, said traders at the Koyambedu wholesale market.