Chennai: Price of vegetables in Chennai has gone up by 60 to 70 per cent due to severe drought in the state. There has been shortfall in the arrivals of vegetables from various places to Koyambedu vegetable wholesale market.
The wholesale traders normally receive 320 truckloads of vegetables every day from various places in the state besides Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Due to failure of monsoon for the second consecutive year, traders are receiving only 200 truckloads of vegetables from the state.
Drought has affected the agricultural activities in the state. As a result the price of vegetables has been steadily increasing for the past few weeks, according to V. R. Sounderrajan, advisor, All Wholesale Vegetable Traders Association, Koyambedu.
Some vegetables are dearer by 70 per cent compared to last month. However, price of potatoes has not been increased and it remained Rs 20/kg for the last few months, he said.
“We have not been getting adequate number of truckloads of vegetables due to severe drought in southern districts. The state has not received adequate rainfall for the past two years. The shortfall in supply would continue for some time. We have not been getting sufficient quantity of vegetables from various places including Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kancheepuram and Ottanchatriam, he said.
S. Revathy of Jafferkhanpet, said since the price of all vegetables has increased sharply she had not used coriander leaves for the last few weeks. Similarly, price of green chilli has also increased.
