TNAU predicts higher prices for vegetables in summer

Coimbatore, Feb 23 (UNI) The Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) predicted that vegetables will fetch higher prices in summer to farmers.

In a release here today, Cell Project Coordinator Dr N Raveendran said the state accounts for 2.10 lakh hectares of vegetable farming area with a total production of 62 lakh tonnes.

Brinjal, Lady finger, onion, tomato, drumstick, bitter gourd and snake gourd were the plain vegetables grown in more areas. In Dindigul and Nilgiris district, potatoes, beans, carrot, cabbage were cultivated and marketed in the state.

As tomato arrivals in the state Nadu start from August to February and with Karnataka trickling in from March to July, the price of tomato rules higher during April-June. The cultivation of tomato during summer yield only 60 to 70 per cent. So it was better to select heat tolerant varieties, the release added.

In case of small onion, prices would be higher during April-June and demand for seed onion, with its arrivals from Mysore to Tamil Nadu falling during this period, the release said.

Price of cabbage would be higher during June-July while price of cauliflower would be higher during May-July. Higher price for beetroot was expected in May-June.

Due to good rainfall, this year's vegetable production would be high. However, increasing demand would sustain the prices at a higher level. ''Hence, the farmers are requested to plan the time of sowing and adopt the recommended technologies to increase profits,'' it added.

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