CHENNAI: The unusual heavy downpour in coastal districts of Tamil Nadu has affected the production of salt in Nagapattinam and vegetable cultivation in western districts according to traders at Koyambedu wholesale market. Arrival of vegetables particularly tomatoes, lady’s finger and beans has dwindled since last month and the prices have also increased by 20 to 40 per cent, said K. Sukumar, a wholesale trader at Koyambedu. Farmers in western districts and northern districts are also finding it difficult to cope up with bad weather. With water-logging becoming an issue small vans and autos also avoid taking loads to low-lying areas. The again has affected the arrival of vegetables from Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, he said.
Spices and salt will be expensive for next year and already the production of salt is affected in Vedaranyam and similarly the supply of pepper from Kerala and Karnataka is also marginally affected due to rains, said V. Jothiraj of Vinayagam Stores. The prices of essential commodities including rice and pulses will also surge if there is heavy rains in delta region. Usually, the production of salt is suspended during peak summer and again due to heavy rains the salt production is now affected and salt is produced in more than 10,000 acres along the Vedaranyam coast, he said.
