Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 9: People of coastal districts of Karnataka treat the period from February 22 to March 24 this year as the period of 'Moudhya' month. They believe this period to be inauspicious and therefore marriages, housewarming ceremonies, and other auspicious occasions are mostly postponed or put off. As such, demand for certain items has come down, and naturally prices of flowers, vegetables, fish and mutton have come down.

After unusually heavy rains battered north Karnataka and districts in the plains, vegetables and pulses crops had been washed away. This had resulted in the skyrocketing prices of vegetables. These prices have slowly seen a downslide and the consumers have heaved a sigh of relief.

Just like vegetable prices, fish prices have also come down. Prices of Bhatkal jasmine and Shankarapura jasmine have nosedived from about a month. Shankarapura jasmine which was traded at Rs 2,100 per atte during February first week has fallen to just Rs 690 per atte. Bhatkal jasmine price has fallen from Rs 1,030 to 330. Flower merchants agree that the prices of other flowers like chrysanthemum, marigold and Kaakada too have fallen.

Now, tomato is available at Rs 12 per kg, purple brinjal at Rs 30, ivy gourd Rs 24, potato Rs 24, French beans Rs 32, long beans Rs 30, fenugreek leaves Rs 40, green chilli at Rs 80 per kg, cilantro at Rs 40 per kg and bottle gourd Rs 30 per kg, vegetable merchants reveal.

Mackerel is sold at Rs 200 per kg, kingfish Rs 700, prawns Rs 550 per kg and disco Rs 130.