Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Less arrivals, more prices

CHENNAI: Thearrival of vegetables to the city has been hit significantly following the truckers’ strike in the last four days.

The gap between demand and the available stock has pushed the price of the vegetables by more than double in the retail market.

Vendors at the Koyambedu wholesale market said that the market received only 200 loads of the vegetables on Thursday as against the normal daily supply of 500 loads.

Several vegetable suppliers and farmers, supplying to the market, transported the produce in their own vehicles on Thursday.

As most of the produce had to be transported in smaller vehicles, the transportation cost also doubled leading to hike in vegetable prices, the vendors said.

Sales also were relatively low as the turnout of traders and customers was less on Thursday.

The retail price was higher as the vendors had borne the additional cost of labour and transportation charges.

Greens, which were priced at Rs. 6, now costs Rs.10 in the retail market.

V.R. Soundararajan, member of Market Management Committee, said that the prices were already high in the past one year due to various reasons, particularly heavy showers. The truckers’ strike has only added to the problem. If the strike continues, the cost was likely to escalate further, he added.

R. Sugumar, official spokesperson (southern states) of All India Motor Transport Congress, said the petrol and diesel truck operators have also joined the strike from Thursday. If the Central government does not hold talks and meet the demand, truckers transporting essential commodities such as milk and water, would join the strike from Saturday midnight.

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