New Delhi- Tomato prices are burning a hole in common people’s pockets with the vegetable being sold at ₹ 80-100 per kg in some cities.
On Wednesday, the price of tomato was between ₹ 90-100 a kg in Delhi.
“In wholesale, we are getting tomatoes for ₹ 60-80 kg. In retail people will get it for ₹ 90-100. The rates have gone up in the last 10-15 days due to rains,” says Deepak, a tomato seller in Delhi.
The reason behind this is the dip in supply due to heatwaves in tomato-growing areas and heavy rain.
Meanwhile, the sky-rocketing price of tomatoes in Uttar Pradesh is forcing the common people to cut down on their daily food menu.
A vendor said, “‘Tomatoes have reached ₹ 100 a kg. Those who need 1 kg are buying 250 grams. Tomatoes have become costlier in the last 4-5 days. This is affecting people’s pockets a lot.”
Tomato prices have recently shot up in the markets across the country from ₹ 10-20 per kg to a price of ₹ 80-100 per kg. The reason behind this is the dip in supply due to heatwaves in tomato-growing areas and heavy rain.
Ajay Kedia, a Mumbai-based commodity market expert and head of Kedia Advisory said, “This year, for a variety of reasons, fewer tomatoes were sown than in prior years. As the price of beans surged last year, many farmers switched to growing beans this year. However, a lack of monsoon rains has caused the crops to dry out and wilt. The limited supply of vegetables, particularly tomatoes are due to crop damage caused by heavy rainfall and extreme heat.”
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Mohammad Raju, a resident of Delhi said, “Tomato is being sold at a price of ₹ 80 per kg. The rate has suddenly shot up in the past two-three days.”
Tomato prices have also skyrocketed in the southern state of Karnataka and its capital city Bengaluru as incessant rains have damaged the crop and made transportation difficult.
The price of tomatoes touched ₹ 100 per kg in a market in Bengaluru and traders said that due to heavy rain, the crops have been damaged.
According to the database maintained by the Price Monitoring Division under the Department of Consumer Affairs, per kilo tomato on an average rose from ₹ 25 to ₹ 41 in retail markets. Maximum prices of tomatoes in retail markets were in the range between ₹ 80-113.
he rates of staple vegetables were in tune with the rise in their prices in wholesale markets, which jumped about 60-70 per cent on average in June. (ANI)
