Summer has just begun, but prices of some vegetables have already begun to rise.

The poor monsoon finds reflection in the prices of vegetables at the Koyambedu wholesale market, the hub of perishable goods in the city. Wholesale traders said the prices of vegetables normally go up during mid-March. But, this time around, the spike in demand for some vegetables has driven up prices earlier.

Cold storage facilities

Building more cold storage facilities would help control such spikes, said traders.

Beans are among the vegetables whose prices have soared at the wholesale market. One kg of beans was sold for a between ₹85- ₹90 on Monday, which is more than double the price in February. On Sunday, it was sold for ₹100 a kg, traders said.

S. Chandran, president, Koyambedu Licensed Merchants Welfare Association, said there is a slight variation in price daily according to arrivals and demand. The cost of vegetables like chayote and carrots has also doubled now because of low yield. The prices would stabilise only after July, he added.

Spike in demand

Moreover, the demand for seasonal vegetables like lemons and cucumber had also pushed up prices. Only a few vegetables like potato, drumsticks and onions are available at relatively affordable prices.

P. Sukumar, treasurer, Koyambedu Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers Merchants Welfare Association, said the price of vegetables was up 10% compared to February. Lack of adequate rainfall and the resultant poor yield had meant fewer lorry-loads arriving at the market. It was only getting an average of 300-350 lorry-loads daily compared to the normal of 400-420 loads daily. Several merchants were eyeing markets further north like Ranchi and Ahmedabad to source vegetables such as beans and broad beans at a lower rate. There was a need for more cold storage facilities to store vegetables, many said. While potatoes could be stored for up to six months, cabbage and beans could only be stored up to 10 days to stabilise prices, one merchant said. The facility maintained by the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited in Koyambedu did not have sufficient capacity, traders said.