Surplus at Koyambedu market: Vegetable prices drop in city

Chennai: Prices of onions, potatoes, and tomatoes dropped to less than 40 per kilogram at the retail market following a drop in prices at the Koyambedu wholesale market, which saw heavy inflow of supply from other states.On Friday, onion was priced at 13-16 per kilogram for regular and 18-20 for premium quality, compared to 30 earlier. Retail prices were 35 per kilogram, while regular was sold at 100 for 4kg. Tomatoes from Bengaluru sold at 25 per kg, while potatoes from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were priced at 15-20 per kg. "We received huge quantities of these vegetables and demand did not increase," said V R Soundararajan, an onion trader from Koyambedu.
A vendor said nearly 40 lorries of onions carrying 20 tonnes each reached the market every day this week, about 10 lorries more than usual. Onions came from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.At least 25 lorries of potatoes, 20 tonnes each, including those from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, came into the market. "Ideally, it should cost at least 30 per kg in the wholesale market. It is half the price now. Farmers are selling it for less than half the price," he said.Wholesale prices of most vegetables, including okra, chayote, carrots, beetroot, and beans, cost between 30 and 40. Retail prices of these vegetables fall between 40 and 55.Online aggregators had more competitive pricing, which was at least 10 less compared to most grocery stores. "That's because customers do not have the option of picking the vegetables," said Satish R, who owns a grocery shop in Saligramam. "We lose a few kilograms of vegetables either because they are too wrinkled, ripe, or damaged from the bulk we buy," he said.