Stocks of vegetables coming into the city have hit an all time low, leading to a spike in prices across all markets in the city.
As against 100 bags of green chilli that used to arrive at Thiyagi Kumaran market, the traders are receiving only 25 bags now. Similarly, the number of loads of other vegetables have also come down drastically over the past one month resulting in a 150% spike in prices for some vegetables.
Poor monsoon last year and sparse summer rain has reduced yield. Meanwhile, as demand from northern states is up, Coimbatore is running low on vegetable stock.
All these factors have led to a steady rise in prices since March. Now the prices have reached unprecedented levels. A kg of beans which sold for 40 in April hovers around 90 now. Onion and tomato prices have also increased three fold. Green chillies have shot up from 35 a month ago to 80 while ladies finger costs 60, up from 30 in T K Market. The price rise had made a deep dent in the kitchen budget of families here.
"We used to spend 500 to 600 a month for vegetables. This month the budget has already shot up to 1,000,'' says A Keerthi, a housewife in Singanalur. Vegetable prices are no better in Uzhavar Sandhai's where farmers sell their produce directly. "There was no summer cultivation at all in Coimbatore district this season because of poor summer showers,'' said M Swaminathan, a farmer from Thondamuthur.
"We get vegetables like potato, carrot, beans and beetroot from Nilgiris while chillies, drumstick, brinjal arrive from Oddanchathram in Dindigul. But vegetable supply from Oddanchathram has dwindled to a large extent," says TK Market traders association treasurer Karthikeyan.
He attributed drought like conditions in a few northern states where cultivation was hit, sparking a higher demand.
In Pollachi, which boasts of the largest vegetable market in the district, the prices fell by a few notches on Friday due to arrival of fresh load from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, but they went back up on Sunday.
"Vegetable prices are expected to remain the same until the new-season crops arrive,"said president of the Anna Market association S B Suresh.
As against 100 bags of green chilli that used to arrive at Thiyagi Kumaran market, the traders are receiving only 25 bags now. Similarly, the number of loads of other vegetables have also come down drastically over the past one month resulting in a 150% spike in prices for some vegetables.
Poor monsoon last year and sparse summer rain has reduced yield. Meanwhile, as demand from northern states is up, Coimbatore is running low on vegetable stock.
All these factors have led to a steady rise in prices since March. Now the prices have reached unprecedented levels. A kg of beans which sold for 40 in April hovers around 90 now. Onion and tomato prices have also increased three fold. Green chillies have shot up from 35 a month ago to 80 while ladies finger costs 60, up from 30 in T K Market. The price rise had made a deep dent in the kitchen budget of families here.
"We used to spend 500 to 600 a month for vegetables. This month the budget has already shot up to 1,000,'' says A Keerthi, a housewife in Singanalur. Vegetable prices are no better in Uzhavar Sandhai's where farmers sell their produce directly. "There was no summer cultivation at all in Coimbatore district this season because of poor summer showers,'' said M Swaminathan, a farmer from Thondamuthur.
"We get vegetables like potato, carrot, beans and beetroot from Nilgiris while chillies, drumstick, brinjal arrive from Oddanchathram in Dindigul. But vegetable supply from Oddanchathram has dwindled to a large extent," says TK Market traders association treasurer Karthikeyan.
He attributed drought like conditions in a few northern states where cultivation was hit, sparking a higher demand.
In Pollachi, which boasts of the largest vegetable market in the district, the prices fell by a few notches on Friday due to arrival of fresh load from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, but they went back up on Sunday.
"Vegetable prices are expected to remain the same until the new-season crops arrive,"said president of the Anna Market association S B Suresh.