The Hindu Business Line : Foodgrain trade also heading to Koyambedu

A PUNGENT smell of chilli and garlic hits as one walks down Chinna Thambi Mudali Street off Anna Pillai Street in Parry's. These two narrow lanes lined on both sides with multi-storeyed buildings are part of a complex that once supplied all the essentials — foodgrains, pulses, spices, condiments, dry fruits, edible oils, fruits and vegetables... the list goes on.

The origin of this cluster can be traced back to more than a century on traders who depended on the port to bring in the commodities. Even today, they do brisk business despite traders dispersing across the city that is growing by the day.

Mr D.V. Krishna Rao, a rice trader who has been in the business for several decades, recounts the various business clusters, as the darkened glass doors of his shop shut out the noise and dust of Anna Pillai Street. Acharappan Street, where wholesale trade is run, for pulses; Anna Pillai Street, wholesale and semi-wholesale for rice, wheat and sugar; Chinna Thambi Mudali Street for chillies, garlic; Strotten Muthiah Mudali Street for dry fruits; Kandappa Chetty Street for dry onions; and the vicinity of the Kotwal Market, once a centre of vegetable and fruits business, now a college campus where over a 1,000 students study, for jaggery.

Business goes back to the days when India was not self-sufficient in foodgrains and depended on imports. It was a major exporter of spices so the harbour in the vicinity attracted traders.

Things have changed a lot since then. The city itself has grown several fold and new wholesale markets have sprung up to cater to the growing population. Sources of supply have changed, new ones have been added or have replaced traditional sources, varieties have changed, he says.

For instance, Andhra Pradesh till about a decade ago was the major source of rice for the city, now Karnataka also supplies rice; coriander used to come from Andhra Pradesh, now people prefer the variety from Rajasthan. Dry fruits come from Kashmir; garlic from China has displaced varieties grown domestically; pulses are imported from other countries and processed in mills in neighbouring Tondiarpet and sold in wholesale shops here.

Rice varieties such as the Arcot `Kichili,' `Ramsagara' and IR-8 are no longer available; they have given way to the Ponni range, he says.

It is not long before the foodgrain merchants also join the fruit and vegetable traders at Koyambedu in the western outskirts of the city.

On Chinna Thambi Mudali Street, Mr Amara Visweswara Rao, President, Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants' Association, speaks of the change in business style. Licensing system has been done away with — the number of rice dealers has trebled in the last few years to more than 250. With free movement of rice allowed, there is no need to hold large stocks, which are just a phone call away. Most are commission agents who tie up with rice mills in Andhra Pradesh and sell their stocks here for a 3.5 per cent commission.

Mr Janardanam Chetty, President, Madras Chillies Merchants Association, recalls that the chilli trade started here in 1900s with just a handful of traders. Today, their number runs into hundreds. Stocks come from Andhra Pradesh, Ramanathapuram and Paramakudi, Tamil Nadu, and from Karnataka. But times are changing. Soon, they too, will be moving to the new market coming up at Koyambedu.

Over 480 shops to come up in phase I

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has approved construction of nearly 500 shops at the Koyambedu wholesale market complex. Soon foodgrains merchants, chilli traders and others would be shifted there, next to the fruit and vegetable market.

Mr Amara Visweswara Rao, President, Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants' Association, said the Government has allotted about 12 acres, and over 480 shops would come up in the first phase. There is also a proposal to construct four warehouses of about one lakh sq ft each.

Over 250 traders have made the initial payment and further discussions are on, he said.

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