6 months ago
1
Bunches of banana lined up astatine Kamaraj Market successful Thoothukudi territory connected Sunday. | Photo Credit: N. RAJESH
People from Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts thronged marketplaces to bargain festive goods up of Pongal. Traders crossed these districts person stocked a wide scope of items including sugarcane, pottery, tubers and turmeric.
The harvest festival, celebrated crossed Tamil Nadu connected January 15, has brought festive cheer to the confederate districts. Markets crossed the 4 districts are witnessing a precocious influx of goods from different parts of the State. And galore radical person started their Pongal buying aboriginal to debar last-minute rush.
Lalitha from Putheri, who bought a bundle of palmyra tubers astatine Vadasery market, said: “I usually similar buying 3 to 4 days up of Pongal. By then, goods from different districts commencement arriving, and it is easier for buyers to bargain and acquisition items without immoderate rush.”
She adds that she utilized to bargain a ample quantity of tubers and sugarcane earlier, but has reduced the quantity present arsenic her children person settled abroad.
Murugan, a roadside vendor, says that turmeric plants utilized to merchantability successful ample quantities earlier. “However, it has reduced implicit a play of time, arsenic radical present bargain them chiefly to travel the contented of tying them astir the Pongal pot.”
He procures turmeric plants from Tenkasi territory and sells them astatine ₹50 to ₹80 depending connected the size. “We walk a immense magnitude connected transportation, and plants thin to wilt easily,” helium says.
According to Ramesh, president, Vadasery Market Traders Union, the marketplace has mislaid its sheen successful caller times, with a reduced fig of radical visiting it due to the fact that astir present similar to to AAPTA marketplace astatine Ozhuginasery. “Usually, this is the highest income season. However, the festive tone is pickling up astatine a dilatory pace,” helium says.
In contrast, AAPTA is bustling with traders and shoppers from assorted parts of the territory purchasing vegetables, fruits and different essentials for Pongal.
“Goods person already started arriving, with radical opening their purchases. People usually springiness ‘Pongal padi’, [gifts and ritual items fundamentally sent from maternal location to daughters] a week successful beforehand and, hence, concern is doing well,” says Paulraj, president, AAPTA Market Traders Association.
He adds that marketplace hours volition beryllium extended beyond 11 p.m. arsenic this play is important for galore traders.
Arumugam, a pottery trader from Palayamkottai, feels that the fig of radical purchasing accepted clay pots has declined. “We usually acceptable up stalls lone during December and January, depending connected Pongal sales. However, adjacent this has been affected successful caller times,” helium rues.
Clay pots and terracotta stoves are being sold for ₹150-₹170, depending connected the variant selected, helium adds..
Meanwhile, Sudhan, a sugarcane vendor from Nagercoil, points retired that the outgo of a sugarcane bundle comprising 15 cane sticks ranges from ₹500 to ₹550, whereas a azygous portion costs ₹50.
Noting that radical buying bundles of sugarcane has importantly reduced, helium says that with families progressively getting smaller, galore similar buying 1 oregon 2 stalks.
Similarly, roads successful Thoothukudi person travel live with festive spirit, with a ample fig of popular up shops selling terracotta pottery, rangoli powder, sugarcane and tubers.
Farmers from the bluish portion of Thoothukudi district, Kulasekarapattinam, Udangudi and Sathankulam person started harvesting palmyra tubers, up of Pongal.
A. Varadharajan of Karisal Bhoomi Farmers’ Association wants the authorities to see including palmyra tubers successful the Pongal acquisition hampers that it distributes to beneficiaries, arsenic the inaugural volition beryllium highly beneficial for the palmyra tuber farmers of the State.
Jeyasingh, a wholesale banana merchant from Thoothukudi, feels the Pongal festive tone has begun to prime up, with income improving implicit the past fewer days, though they stay little than pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. “Before the pandemic, astir 3,000 banana bunches were sold successful a azygous time during Pongal. However, it has present reduced to 1,500 to 2,000.”
Despite saltation successful income of commodities, traders and farmers stay hopeful of earning good and clearing their banal during the festival season.
