Date:15/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/15/stories/2008111551870300.htm

Kerala - Kozhikode

Vegetable prices come down

Staff Reporter

A major reason is government’s plan to supply kits for Rs.18

Unseasonal rain in neighbouring States hit vegetable production, resulting in price rise
Bangalore and Coimbatore are main sourcing centres of vegetables for the city

KOZHIKODE: Vegetable prices, which have been playing havoc with family budgets, climbed down to more manageable levels on Friday. Market intervention by the State government, which announced that it would supply vegetable kits priced at Rs.18, had a salutary effect on the markets as it pulled down the prices of vegetables.

The unseasonal rains that lashed neighbouring Tamil Nadu had led to reduction in vegetable production and spiralling prices. Kozhikode, like the rest of Kerala, sources vegetable from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Coimbatore and Bangalore are the main places from where vegetables reach the city in trucks, says A. Pavithran, a vegetable vendor at A.G. Road here.

Carrot, priced at Rs.40 a kilo a week before, has come down to Rs.30 now. Tomato that had seen a huge price hike is now at Rs.30 per kilo instead of Rs.35 a week before. The price of lady’s finger came down from Rs.30 last week to Rs.12 a kilo.

Then and now

The prices of some of the vegetables with the current prices and the price last week in brackets: cabbage Rs.25 (Rs. 35); beans Rs.15 (Rs.30); cucumber Rs.15 (Rs.25); snake gourd Rs. 20 (Rs.25); brinjal Rs. 20 (Rs. 25); drum stick Rs. 40 (from Rs.60) and cauliflower Rs.20 (Rs.40).

People had cut down on purchase of vegetables. Business in vegetable shops dipped. Many dishes which made use of highly priced vegetables disappeared from dining tables.

The rains are likely to be over by two weeks and the prices are expected to come down further after that.