Tomato prices have witnessed a sharp increase across the country, leaving consumers grappling with the soaring costs of this essential kitchen staple. In retail markets tomato is being sold in the range of Rs 80-120 per kilogram. Vegetable vendors and wholesalers attribute the price hike to disruptions in tomato supply caused by heavy rainfall in key producing States.
Mother Dairy's Safal stores have seen a doubling of tomato prices in the past week, with rates reaching nearly Rs 80 per kilogram. The rains have severely affected tomato supplies, resulting in a demand-supply gap. The best quality tomatoes at Safal stores are currently priced at Rs 78 per kilogram, while lower-priced varieties are also available.
Mother Dairy operates more than 300 Safal stores in the Delhi-NCR market.
Agritech startup Otipy, which sells fresh fruits and vegetables through a mobile app, is selling tomatoes at Rs 86 per kilogram.
Similarly, e-commerce platform Big Basket is offering tomatoes at prices ranging from Rs 80-85 per kilogram.
Regarding the price surge, a spokesperson from Mother Dairy said, "With the onset of monsoon, the tomato crop is currently going through a seasonal transition. Rainfall in areas such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand has impacted the crop and restricted its supply, resulting in a demand-supply gap."
Consumer Affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh assured consumers that the spike in tomato prices is a temporary seasonal phenomenon and expects prices to normalize soon. "It is a highly perishable commodity. Transportation gets affected in areas that received sudden rains. It is a temporary issue. Prices will cool down soon. It happens every year during this time," Singh said.
According to data from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average price of tomatoes across India is Rs 46 per kilogram as of June 27. The modal price stands at Rs 50 per kilogram, while the maximum price recorded is Rs 122 per kilogram. Among the four metros, the retail price of tomatoes in Delhi is Rs 60 per kilogram, Mumbai is Rs 42 per kilogram, Kolkata is Rs 75 per kilogram, and Chennai is Rs 67 per kilogram.
While tomato prices tend to increase during the monsoon season, Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), highlighted that the current surge in prices is unprecedented. Malhotra explained, "Prices go up every year during monsoon, but the cost of tomatoes never went up this high. There is a major dip in supply due to the rains. Around half of our stock, which we got from Himachal Pradesh, got damaged."
The national Capital region relies on tomato supply from neighbouring States such as Haryana, Punjab, and the hill States. However, due to the heavy rains, the supply chain has been significantly disrupted. Grocers and vegetable vendors have no choice but to pass on the higher costs to consumers.
Shweta Upadhyay, a resident of Noida Extension, expressed her dismay, saying, "Within a few days, the rate went up to Rs 100 per kilogram. We are trying to buy fewer tomatoes and use tomato puree instead."
As per Government data, tomato production is expected to witness a slight decline from 20.69 million tonnes in the previous year to 20.62 million tonnes in 2022-23. While the tomato market is grappling with the current price surge, consumers hope for stabilization and relief in the coming days as the weather conditions improve.
