No fish, No meat, No vegetables; Austerity plans rise in Kerala amidst ruthless monsoon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruthless rains have caused a paucity of fresh vegetables in Kerala. If a common man intends to take some good vegetables home, it will now cost him a fortune. With the prices of domestic goods skyrocketing, the family budgets of many Keralites have gone into shambles.

Vegetables, fish, eggs, poultry, condiments and all have all been affected by the price hike. Fish, a staple food for many Malayali families is now unavailable due to the humungous price. Yesterday, the price of eight sardines was Rs. 100 in many places in Attingal. Due to the heavy rains and rough seas, the traditional fishermen are now unable to venture out into the sea.

As of now, most fish reaching the state are from containers brought from foreign countries. These are mixed with chemicals and are devoid of any state or smell, which makes them unworthy of an edible choice.

The earlier harsh summer had destroyed many crops including vegetables. The few vegetables that survived the summer got washed away in the following floods. This resulted in the skyrocketing price of the vegetables in the state.

As most of the farms are outside Kerala, the Tamil Nadu lobbies have increased the prices of chicken and eggs. In Kerala, most people run small poultry farms.