Rising vegetable prices are troubling the consumers who are still coping with the financial crisis brought about by the lockdowns imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with myriad curbs. Tomato prices have soared from Rs 45 in the first week of November to Rs 120/kg at many retail outlets.
On Tuesday, tomato prices have been dominating at Rs 120 per kg in Kottayam, Rs 110 per kg in Ernakulam, Rs 103 per kg in Thiruvananthapuram, Rs 100 per kg in Palakkad, Rs 97 per kg in Thrissur, and Rs 90 per kg in Wayanad and Kozhikode.
Vegetables that were earlier in the price range of Rs 30 – Rs 40 are now being sold at a price range of Rs 60 – Rs 80. According to the Consumer Affairs Ministry “Retail tomato prices began to rise from the beginning of October and have been ruling at elevated levels in November. All India model retail price of tomato stood at Rs 40 per kg on October 1 and shot up to Rs 50 per kg by end of the month. The prices further rose to Rs 80 per kg on 23rd November.”
Crop loss inflicted by heavy rainfall that reduced the supply in the neighboring states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is the primary reason for the price rise. A spike in vegetable prices is common during Sabarimala pilgrimage season, but it seldom increased by a severe shortage in supply. Within Kerala also, vegetable production declined recently due to torrential downpours that occurred because of the formation of low-pressure areas over the seas and the northeast monsoon which is locally known as the Thulavarsham.
Comparatively, vegetables from North India such as potatoes and onion are cheaper as the region was not affected by the northeast monsoon.
Prices in other states and cities
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Chennai – retail price of tomato was Rs 100 per kg,
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Puducherry – Rs 90 per kg,
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Bengaluru – Rs 88 per kg,
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Hyderabad – Rs 65 per kg,
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Karnataka – Rs 85 per kg (Dharwad), Rs 84 per kg (Mysore), Rs 80 per kg (Mangalore), Rs 78 per kg (Bellary).
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Andhra Pradesh – Rs 91 per kg (Vijawada), Rs 80 per kg (Vishakapatnam), Rs 75 per kg (Tirupati).
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Tamil Nadu – Rs 119 (Ramanathapuram), Rs 103 (Tirunelveli), Rs 97 per kg (Thiruchirapalli), Rs 94 per kg (Cuddalore), Rs 90 per kg (Coimbatore).
However, according to the Consumer’s Affairs Ministry’s data for 167 centers representing all regions of the country, the tomato was sold at Rs 72 per kg in the national capital.
“Tomato supply to Delhi from south India has been affected because of the rains. If rains continue in the coming days, the prices in the national capital might rise from the current level. The tomato prices in Azadpur wholesale market fell slightly on Tuesday due to arrival of desi variety tomato from neighboring states of Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh” – said Ashok Kaushik, President of Azadpur Tomato Association.
Presently, harvesting is ongoing in the key growing states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. In around 2-3 months, the tomato crop will be ready for harvest. After planting and harvesting are done as per the requirement of the market.
According to the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation “After China, India is the second-largest tomato producer in the world. India produces around 19.75 million tons from an area of 7.89 lakh hectares with an average yield of 25.05 tons per hectare.”
