Tomato Prices To Touch Rs 300 Per Kg In Coming Days: Report

The tomato prices, which are widely used in kitchens in India, in Delhi have surged again to Rs 250 per kilogram (kg). The kitchen staple could soon cost you Rs 300 per kg, as per wholesale traders as cited by PTI.

Kaushik, a member of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), was quoted as saying by PTI, that vegetable wholesalers are facing losses as the sale of tomatoes, capsicum, and other seasonal vegetables have drastically fallen.

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He further said that the tomato prices have shot up to Rs 220 per kg from Rs 160 per kg in the wholesale market, which could further lead to increase in prices for retail.

Sanjai Bhagat, an Azadpur Mandi wholesaler, was quoted by PTI, that there is a lot of difficulty in the transportation of vegetables due to landslides and heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh. The hill state witnessed a heavy rainfall, which led to damage in crops.

"It takes 6 to 8 hours more than usual in the exportation of vegetables from the producers due to which the price of tomato might reach nearly ₹300 per kilogram. The quality of vegetables has also come down," Bhagat said. 

Tomato prices have been under pressure for more than a month now due to supply disruptions due to rainfall.

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Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) also cautioned that the supply and demand for tomatoes are low in the market, leading to more difficulties for vendors. 

"Vendors are facing difficulties like late exportation of vegetables, deterioration of quality. Moreover, customers have been refusing to buy vegetables like tomatoes, capsicum, cauliflower, and cabbage," Malhotra told PTI. 

As per the data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry, retail price of tomato touched Rs 203 per kg on Wednesday, whereas at Mother Dairy's Safal retail outlets, the price was reportedly Rs 259 per kg.

"Tomato supply has been affected across the country for the last two months owing to weather abnormalities. In the last two days, arrivals in Azadpur, which is the main feeder for Delhi, has also dropped drastically. Due to short supply, prices have sharply shot up in wholesale, resulting in impact at retail prices too," a Mother Dairy spokesperson said.

The wholesale prices of tomato at Azadpur mandi, which is said to be Asia’s largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, were reportedly between Rs 170 - Rs 220 per kg, depending on the quality.