The price of tomatoes in Delhi-NCR has hit an all-time high of Rs 140 per kg. The sudden surge in tomato prices is due to supply issues from the major tomato-producing centers due to heavy rains in the area.
Azadpur Mandi, known as Asia's largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, reported wholesale tomato prices ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 120 per kilogram, depending on the quality, on Monday. This surge in wholesale prices has had a direct impact on retail prices, with Mother Dairy's Safal selling tomatoes at Rs 99 per kilogram on Sunday. Online retailers such as Otipy and BigBasket were quoting prices as high as Rs 140 and Rs 105-110 per kilogram, respectively.
President of the Azadpur Tomato Association, Ashok Kaushik, explained that the rise in tomato prices can be attributed to a scarcity of supply from the key producing centers, caused by disruptive rainfall. Neighboring states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan experienced a rapid depletion of supplies due to the heavy rains.
Currently, Himachal Pradesh remains the sole supplier for the Delhi-NCR region. However, even Himachal Pradesh is facing challenges in picking and transporting tomatoes due to the ongoing downpours.
Traders are finding it difficult to source tomatoes from major producing centers like Maharashtra and Karnataka, as prices in those regions have also skyrocketed due to the rainfall. Kaushik mentioned that a crate weighing 25 kilograms is being quoted at prices ranging from Rs 2,400 to Rs 3,000, while the rates per kilogram at the producing centers hover between Rs 100 and Rs 120. These high rates make it economically unviable for traders to bring the commodity to Delhi.
Kaushik added that once the rainfall situation improves in southern states over the next 15 days, the supply of tomatoes in the Delhi-NCR region is expected to stabilize. However, until then, consumers can anticipate the prices to remain firm.
The issue of surging tomato prices is not limited to Delhi-NCR alone; other parts of the country are also witnessing a similar trend. The government has reassured the public that the price rise is a temporary occurrence, commonly observed during this season. They expect prices to cool down within the next 15 days.
As consumers eagerly await relief from the soaring prices, they hope for a swift improvement in weather conditions and a subsequent stabilization of tomato supplies across the nation.
