The tomato prices, which used to cost Rs 20-30 per kg, have shot up to Rs 110-160 per kg in the past few weeks.
New Delhi: Buying tomatoes has become a costly affair and it is burning a hole in our pockets. The tomato prices, which used to cost Rs 20-30 per kg, have shot up to Rs 110-160 per kg in the past few weeks.
“On sequential basis, the average retail price of tomato went up by 38.5 per cent in June. On wholesale basis as well, tomato price rose by 45.3 per cent in the same period,” Dipanwita Mazumdar, Economist at Bank of Baroda, said, according to a report by news agency PTI.
As per data, tomato production has moderated by 0.4 per cent from 20,694 (‘000 MT) in 2021-22 to 20,621 (‘000 MT) as per first advance estimates of 2022-23, the report noted.
When Will Tomato Prices Go Down
The good news is that with the arrival of the July-November crop season, the prices may ease. As per data, tomato production has moderated by 0.4 per cent from 20,694 (‘000 MT) in 2021-22 to 20,621 (‘000 MT) as per first advance estimates of 2022-23, the report noted.
Read More: Bill Gates Meets Zerodha Co-Founders Over Breakfast; Here’s What Nikhil Kamath Shared
“State-wise data reveal that Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha account for 51.5 per cent of total production of tomato. For states such as Gujarat, production has fallen by 23.9 per cent, and for Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh, the drop in production is about 20 per cent,” the report said.
As the Rabi harvest season for tomatoes is December-June, the crop might be impacted due to heat waves or erratic rainfall, hence there is a sudden upward blip in prices. “But with the arrival of July-November crop season, some easing of the trajectory might be seen,” the report noted.
According to the data maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average price of tomato on an all-India basis is Rs 46 per kg on June 27. The modal price is Rs 50 per kg while the maximum price is Rs 122 per kg.
Across four metros, the retail price of tomato in Delhi is Rs 60 per kg, Mumbai is Rs 42 per kg, Kolkata is Rs 75 per kg and Chennai is Rs 67 per kg.
Among other major cities, the prices stood at Rs 52 per kg in Bengaluru, Rs 80 per kg in Jammu, Rs 60 per kg in Lucknow, Rs 88 per kg in Shimla, Rs 100 per kg in Bhubaneshwar and Rs 99 per kg in Raipur. The maximum price of Rs 122 per kg has been reported from Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Bellary (Karnataka), as per the department data.
