Tomato prices rise due to supply shortage, likely to soon exceed Rs 100 per kg: report

Tomato prices had risen to more than Rs 80 per kg in several places in the country last week.

Price increase tomatoes: Prices of essential vegetables such as tomatoes will skyrocket to over Rs 100 per kilo due to the severe supply shortage, according to a report by The Hindu on Monday. Tomato prices had skyrocketed to over Rs 80 per kg last week. According to the report, a 15 kg box of tomatoes was sold for Rs 1,100 at the Kolar wholesale market APMC on Sunday.

Why have tomato prices increased?

It should be noted that the delayed monsoon and the possibility of weak rainfall in different parts of the country lead to higher prices for vegetables.

“Tomato sowing this year is lower than previous years for several reasons. Many farmers in Kolar switched to beans this year as the price of beans skyrocketed last year. But due to poor monsoons, crops have dried up and withered.” Anji Reddy, a tomato grower from Kolar, told The Hindu.

Tomato prices have fallen to Rs 3-5 per kg

Tomato prices collapsed to Rs 3-5 per kg last month, forcing several growers to throw away their produce by driving tractors through the crop.

With a tomato shortage in Maharashtra, buyers are moving to West Bengal, Odisha and even for export to Bangladesh to meet the demand.

Tomato prices double in Delhi’s Azadpur

Tomato prices have doubled in the past two days at Delhi’s Azadpur wholesale market. A tomato trader told Economic Times that they are not getting enough tomatoes from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana due to shortage and are now dependent on Bengaluru for supply.

Not only tomatoes, but also the prices of other vegetables, except onions and potatoes, have gone north. A kg of beans costs between Rs 120 and Rs 140, and the prices of some varieties of carrots are reaching Rs 100. Bell pepper prices have crossed Rs 80 per kg. Moreover, egg prices have increased in the range of Rs 7 – Rs 8 kilos.