Shocking but true!! Now, food essentials are also considered as a luxury by the Chennai residents!!
Posted on: 28/Jun/2023 9:05:26 AM
Who would have thought that one day food essentials would also be considered as luxury?
Many now in Chennai are buying less amounts of food essentials due to unimaginable increase in the prices of essential commodities.
A resident from Chintadripet in Chennai expressed her thoughts. She spoke about how her family`s monthly expenditure on groceries has gone up to Rs 5000 now from Rs 3000 earlier. As a result, her family has been forced to buy only less quantities of the essential commodities.
The rise in the prices of tomatoes to Rs 100 per kg has grabbed many eyeballs and due to shortage in the supply the prices of the essential items have also gone up now. The Chennai residents are unable to come to terms with this and they are suffering.
As the heavy rains have affected the cultivation of crops in TN and in the neighbouring states, the supply has been reduced and due to this the prices of grocery items such as rice, dhal, red chillies and garlic etc have increased in the last 2 months.
The recently sewed crops have been damaged by the recent rains and this has only added the issues as the wholesale prices have been affected. The rise in the wholesale prices have led to an increase in the retail prices too. The buying capacity of the wholesale traders has now been reduced by this.
Mr. R. Punniappan, secretary, Koyambedu Food and Grains Wholesale Market explained that usually the summer spell of rains would be around 2cm on average but in 2023 there has been more rainfall. This has affected the pulses especially.
There has been a delay in the supply of essential goods from other states to Chennai. This has led to huge increases in the prices now. The lives of lower middle class families in Chennai and the business of small road side eatery shops have been affected badly.
As there was no interruption in the oil supply, oil rates have remained stable in the last 2 months. It must be recalled that in 2022 for many months supply of oil was hit due to the Ukraine-Russia war.
During April month in 2022, Sunflower oil was sold for Rs 175 per kg. Currently, in wholesale, a kilo of Sunflower oil is being sold for Rs 93 per kg.This was brought out by Mr. T. Chandrasekharan, general secretary of TN Oil and Seeds Association in George Town
