The indefinite strike by a major section of lorry owners has not resulted in an alarming situation or a marked fall in the availability of vegetables and other commodities in the city and suburban towns.
Though there is shortage of some vegetables from other States due to the strike, which entered its fourth day on Tuesday, this has to some extent been overcome by more area being brought under vegetable cultivation in Kerala.
The number of lorries ferrying produce to the Ernakulam market daily has fallen from 22 to 10, due to the national-level strike and also due to local agitations in Tamil Nadu. It had led to price rise by up to 30%, but shortage of commodities was not reported, said N.H. Shameed, the general secretary of Ernakulam Market Stall Owners’ Association. But it affected supplies to hotels and companies based on agreed upon rates, he added.
Antony K.J., founder of Thodupuzha-based Kerala Agricultural Development Society (KADS), which has an outlet here, said there was shortage of some vegetables since the areas where they were cultivated were submerged in unprecedented rainfall.
“The lorry strike has not affected us much since we rely mostly on produce cultivated in Thrissur and Palakkad. A few of them have increased prices citing the lorry strike,” he said.
Supermarkets too have not registered a shortfall in supplies. Sajan C.K., the owner of a supermarket in Vennala, said supplies arrived as expected on Tuesday too, from the Maradu wholesale market. There was price escalation of some vegetables and delay in arrival of a few goods, he added.