Tomato prices rise to Rs 155/Kg in Kolkata, the highest among metro cities

Data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs shows that the average selling price across India was 83.29 rupees per kilogram, with an average price of 100 rupees per kilogram.

“We have bought the best quality tomatoes for ₹120 per kg in Azadpur wholesale market and selling for ₹140 per kg in retail,” a local seller told the new agency PTI. (Image: Pixabay)

New Delhi: Retail prices for tomatoes in the country’s major cities have risen to 155 per kg due to supply disruption caused by the region’s heavy monsoon rains. In major cities, retail tomato prices ranged from 58 to 148 rupees per kilogram, with Mumbai charging the lowest at Rs 58 and Kolkata the highest at Rs 148, according to a report in the Mint.

Price in other cities

Prices were 110 and 117 rupees per kilogram in Delhi and Chennai respectively. The data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs shows that the average selling price across India was Rs 83.29 per kilogram, with the median price being Rs 100 per kilogram.

“We bought the best quality tomato from €120 per kg from Azadpur wholesale market and sell it up €140 per kg in retail,” local seller Jyotish Kumar Jha in Paschim Vihar told PTI about the price of tomatoes.

When will tomato prices drop?

The good news is that production costs can drop with the start of the harvest season, which runs from July to November. Tomato production has decreased by 0.4% from 20,694 (‘000 tons) in 2021-2022 to 20,621 (‘000 tons) according to the first projections for 2022-2023, according to the statistics, as a report in PTI noted.

What does the CPI data show?

India’s consumer price index (CPI) inflation fell significantly in May, to 4.25 percent, its lowest point in 25 months, remaining below the Reserve Bank of India’s maximum tolerance ceiling of 6 percent for a third consecutive month. Retail inflation fell from 7.04% in the same month a year earlier (May 2022) to 4.7% in May and to 4.7% in April 2023.

Prices of vegetables in Bangalore

Due to the lack of rain, vegetable prices in Bengaluru have risen since last week. At the KR market in Bengaluru, tomatoes that were once sold for Rs 20 or Rs 30 per kilo are now sold for Rs 80. Similarly, carrots are also sold for Rs 60 per kg, while okra (ladies finger) is now being offered for Rs 40 to Rs 60 per kilogram.