Vegetable prices are likely to go up in the coming weeks with the transportation cost going up by 10 to 15% due to fuel price rise.

According to KM Narasimhan, advisor to Chennai Goods Transport Association, “An average of 65% of the operational cost of a goods transport vehicle is expenditure towards fuel. Freight charges for popular routes like Chennai-Bangalore, Chennai-Tiruchi and Chennai-Madurai have gone up by 10 to 12% in the last few days and we expect an overall increase of about 15% in the next couple of weeks.”

As of now the vegetable prices are on the decline by 5% to 10% due to heavy stocks, but the situation will change in the coming weeks once the stocks deplete in the Koyambedu market says experts.

Speaking on this S Chandran, secretary, Periyar Market Licenced Merchants Association, in Koyambedu said, “Since the fuel price hike came into effect, we have been spending Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 more towards freight charges per trip, based on distance and the type of vegetable. But we cannot increase the prices of vegetables immediately since it would affect our sales.”