Markets awash with sugarcane and other Pongal goods

Preparations for Pongal festival in Kanniyakumari district include sugarcane, turmeric saplings, tubers, earthen pots, and traditional items.

As Pongal festival is to be celebrated on Tuesday, preparations are in full swing across Kanniyakumari district. Vadasery market and Agricultural Products, Producers and Traders Association (APPTA) market in Nagercoil are awash with sugarcane and turmeric saplings.

Besides, an assortment of tubers such as palmyra, taro root, sweet potato and tapioca are brought for sale at the market every year. A large number of people have already started flocking to these markets ahead of the festival.

Ajith, a sugarcane vendor at Vadasery market, said prices of sugarcane varies depending on the size, ranging from ₹40 to ₹60. A bundle containing 15 sugarcanes was priced upto ₹650 on Sunday. He said the sugarcane was procured from Madurai and Theni districts.

“The sales of sugarcanes have been declining over the years and this year the business picked up only on Saturday. Compared to previous years, today’s generation seem less interested in tasting sugarcane. They rather prefer food items that are easier to consume,” he said. Many families purchase not more than three canes. The bundles are bought mainly for large-scale celebration, he said.

The market has also on sale earthen pots and traditional mud stoves which are attractively painted in different colours and designs. The price of each pot can go upto ₹450 depending on the size. These pots are primarily sourced from Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts.

Similarly, vendors from Tenkasi district are selling the turmeric saplings for ₹30 to ₹50. Karthick, a vendor selling these saplings, said, “People are complaining about the high price of saplings. But we cannot sell them without making a profit. We earn a maximum of ₹5 in each sapling.”

Another significant thing in preparatory items for Pongal is the variety of tubers which are being sourced from various districts. A mixed package of all the tubers sells for ₹160, and a single bundle of 25 palm tubers for ₹150 to ₹180.