Soaring tomato prices burn a hole in common man's pocket

New Delhi [India], June 28 : Tomato prices are burning a hole in common people's pockets with the vegetable being sold at Rs 80-100 per kg in some cities.

On Wednesday, the price of tomato was between Rs 90-100 a kg in Delhi.

"In wholesale, we are getting tomatoes for Rs 60-80 kg. In retail people will get it for Rs 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 Rs 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 Rs 10-20 per kg to a price of Rs 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 toon Tuesday, Mohammad Raju, a resident of Delhi said, "Tomato is being sold at a price of Rs 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 Rs 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 Rs 25 to Rs 41 in retail markets. Maximum prices of tomatoes in retail markets were in the range between Rs 80-113.

The 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.