Tomato prices shoot up to Rs 140/kg
Retail tomato prices have increased to Rs 140 per kg in the Delhi-NCR region as a result of the rain-related disruption in supply from the producing centres. On Monday, wholesale tomato prices at Azadpur Mandi, Asia's largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market, ranged from Rs 60 to Rs 120 per kilogramme, depending on quality. On Sunday, Mother Dairy's Safal was selling tomatoes for Rs 99 per kilogramme. On Monday, BigBasket was putting a tomato hybrid at Rs 105-110 per kg and online retailer Otipy was quoting it at Rs 140 per kg.
"The constrained supply from the major producing centres is the cause of the increase in tomato prices. Rainfall has affected the supply, according to ashok Kaushik, president of the Azadpur Tomato Association, who spoke to PTI. Due to rain, the supply from nearby Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and haryana suddenly ran out. Presently, the Delhi-NCR region receives all of its supplies from Himachal Pradesh. He noted that the state's rugged terrain is also experiencing significant rains, which affects transportation and picking.
Because of high costs caused by recent rains, traders are unable to obtain supplies from maharashtra and Karnataka, two major producing states. "A crate of 25 kg is quoted somewhere between Rs 2,400 and 3,000," added Kaushik. At tomato-producing facilities, the price per kg is between Rs 100 and Rs 120. At such high prices, traders cannot afford to transport the good to Delhi.
The supply of tomatoes in the Delhi-NCR region is anticipated to increase after the rainfall situation in southern states improves over the course of the next 15 days, he said, adding that prices will remain stable till then. The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Azadpur is another organisation that kaushik belongs to. Not just in Delhi-NCR, but also in other regions of the nation, prices have skyrocketed. The increase in tomato prices, according to the administration, is a "seasonal" occurrence. Prices are now high and are expected to decline during the next 15 days.