Soaring prices of essential vegetables, fish and chicken have burnt multiple holes in the pockets of Kochiites. The customers were in a shock over the last few days after the prices of vegetables shot up considerably. The price of a kilo of beans continues to remain at Rs.100 at the retail outlets in Ernakulam. Tomato was sold at Rs.65 a kilo today, said Anas, a vegetable vendor in Edappally. The citizens are a worried lot, especially after the monthly budget went for a toss after meeting the expenses ahead of school re-opening. I had asked the vendor to give me ginger for Rs.5 today, but he refused stating that the prices have shot up to Rs.100 and above for a kilo and the minimum that could be sold was for Rs.10, said Padmanabhan, a retired government employee in Thripunithura. Vegetable vendors in Broadway attributed the rise in prices to the sharp fall in arrivals of beans, tomatoes and other items from Tamil Nadu. There is crop loss in many districts of Tamil Nadu leading to a dip in availability of select vegetables here, said a vendor. It’s not vegetable prices that are going up. The price of chicken has also gone up, with a kilo being sold at Rs.135 in retail poultry outlets in Ernakulam. Chicken was sold in the Rs.100 range earlier. Sales have been affected in view of the increase in prices, said a trader in Aluva. Customers have no relief as the prices of fish varieties seem to be scaling up. The price of a kilo of seer fish in the retail market is about Rs.550. Aavoli (silver pomfret) is sold at Rs.500 a kilo. Kera is sold in the range of Rs.280 to Rs.300 a kilo. The price of oil sardines has gone up to Rs.150 a kilo while mackerel is sold at Rs.200 a kilo, said Majeed, a fish vendor here. Dwindling fish catch had affected the supply leading to increase in prices of various varieties, he said.
2016, The Hindu