Rising prices of vegetables: Kerala CM writes to counterparts in Maha, TN

In the backdrop of spiralling prices of onions and other vegetables in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday wrote to his counterparts in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to permit procurement directly from farmers and Farmers Producers organisations (FPO).

In separate letters to Uddhav Thackeray and K Palaniswami, chief ministers of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu respectively, Vijayan said Kerala government agencies -- Supplyco, Horticorp and Consumerfed-- may be allowed to procure onions, tomatoes and potatoes from farmers and FPOs.

This will help in ironing out the price volatilities.

Being a consumer state, Kerala depends substantially on the arrival of commodities from other states, he said.

Vijayan told reporters that the government has decided to procure 1800 tonnes of onions from NAFED and it is expected to procure the kitchen staple and distribute it in retail outlets by November first week.