Veggie costs impact Chennai eating habits

TNN | Jul 24, 2014, 05.03 AM IST

CHENNAI: Rising prices of vegetables are leaving a hole in the pockets of families in the city and are also impacting their eating and cooking habits. Housewives are experimenting with sambar without small onions and carrot and rasam minus tomatoes. 

Beans are being sold at 160 a kg and tomatoes at 85 in some retail shops in the city. Tomato price has shot up 250% and that of onion by 33% in the past month even though there has been no change in the arrivals of these commodities in wholesale markets. 

K Nanditha, a homemaker from Kotturpuram, said her monthly spend on vegetables had shot up drastically. A middle class family in Chennai, used to spending 2,000 a month on vegetables and fruits, is now forced to spend double that amount but still skips vegetables that are prohibitively costly. "I bought vegetables for Rs 300 on Wednesday and feel it won't suffice for even two days," said Nanditha.

There are others who have shifted to vegetables that are comparatively selling cheaper."We never encouraged vegetables like brinjal and beetroot as my family members don't like them. But they have become a part of our menu as they are among the very few vegetables that are affordable," said R Vijayalakshmi of Tiruvanmiyur. 

Some have moved away from vegetables for the time being to fish and meat. "We will go back to vegetables when prices drop," said R Reshmi, a resident of Madipakkam.Women who are burdened with the task of managing their kitchen with a fixed budget have turned to their maids to gather information about which shop sells vegetables at the cheapest price. Padmini Senthil Kumar of Adyar says her maid provides useful tips as she works in several houses and shops for them. 

"We use expensive vegetables like beans only in select dishes," said Kumar. The family of 10 has also started to shop at Amma vegetable shops as they feel "the prices there are cheaper by at least Rs 10 per kg". But not all are ready to stand in long queues at such shops.Malini Krishnagopal, a resident of Tiruvanmiyur, said she had been advising her friends on using alternatives for certain vegetables. For instance, "instead of tomato, one can use tomato puree or sauce," she said. She has replaced fresh green peas with frozen peas.Shop owners are feeling the heat too. S J Ahammed Ansari, who runs a few high-end vegetable shops in the city said sales at shops in middle class localities have fallen by 20%. "Wastage has also gone up from 10% to 20% on account of drop in sales. Just because sales have dipped, we cannot reduce the stock. That will drive away the balance customers also," he said.