Bengaluru (The Hindu): The prices of most vegetables grown in Karnataka and sold in Tamil Nadu markets have crashed by over 50 per cent

The Cauvery row and intermittent disruption of life in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has hit the inter-dependent economy of the two States hard, especially the vegetable and flowers markets.

The prices of most vegetables grown here and sold in Tamil Nadu markets have crashed by over 50 per cent over the last week, while the prices of vegetables supplied from Tamil Nadu to here have shot up by around 40 per cent, said a senior procurement official from a retail chain in the city.

Locally grown vegetables such as capsicum, cabbage, tomato, and onion have flooded the markets here and their prices have crashed. Capsicum which was being sold at Rs. 28 a kg just a week ago is being sold at Rs. 12. The price of onion in wholesale market has crashed to Rs. 8 a kg from Rs. 20 to Rs. 22 a kg a week ago.

‘Huge losses’
“Tomato growers are suffering huge losses as we are not able to travel to Tamil Nadu markets. We are getting only Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 a box as against Rs. 300 a week ago. We can get only Rs. 10 a kg of cabbage as against Rs. 20 a few days ago,” M. Nagarajappa, a farmer of Mallasandra village in Kolar, said.

Carrots, beans, okra, and bananas, which arrive in Karnataka markets from Tamil Nadu, are now pricier by around 40 per cent, sources in HOPCOMS said. Another official in a retail chain said the prices of vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms, which are chiefly supplied from Ooty, have also gone up by over 50 per cent.

The flower market in the Old Mysuru region is also dependent on Tamil Nadu, but is relatively unaffected in spite of the bandh and other disruptions.

This is largely because transporters are changing vehicles at the border, a trader at Devaraja Market in Mysuru said.

Floriculturists of Kolar district, however, are badly affected. “Marigold, which was fetching Rs. 20 a kg before the trouble broke out, is being sold at Rs. 10,” said K. Srinivasa Gowda who sells his flowers in Tamil Nadu markets.

Dairy and poultry sectors affected too

Dairy and poultry sectors are also affected owing to the disruption of transport services between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Milk is supplied from Erode to hotels in the city, apart from two major private diaries Nilgiris and Arokya. A Nilgiris diary official said the situation had turned so bad owing to shortage of milk supply from Tamil Nadu that they had closed 30 Nilgiris outlets in Bengaluru for three days.

The poultry sector in the Old Mysuru region has also been affected. Small eggs and poultry are supplied from Mysuru to parts of Tamil Nadu. This has been stopped completely ever since trouble erupted between the two States over the Cauvery water sharing earlier this month.