Tomato prices, which have skyrocketed up to Rs 100 per kg, are likely to decline over the next 15 days as supplies from southern and other States are expected to improve. This is for the first time that tomato price has surpassed the Rs 100 mark per kg in the retail market. In the past, tomato prices had gone through the roof, but never touched three-digit figure.
Former chairman of Delhi Azadpur Mandi, Rajendra Sharma said as rain recedes, the supplies from States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are expected to improve. “The fresh crop of tomato is expected to hit the market after the second week of August till then prices are expected to remain under pressure,” he said.
Delhi-based tomato merchant (of Azadpur Mandi) Ashok Kaushik also said the supplies are expected to improve in the next two weeks. “We have spoken with traders in Karnataka, Andhra and Maharashtra. Harvesting is in progress and we hope rain to recede and trucks reach on time. The supplies have been hit badly in the national Capital as the crop in neighbouring States has been damaged due to heavy rain followed by heat. The supplies from Haryana have stopped as the harvesting in the State has been completed early and currently tomatoes are coming from Shimla,” Kaushik said.
He further said transportation cost has gone up due to more time involved in getting the produce in rainy season.
There are two main varieties of tomatoes grown in the country. The first one is grown during mid-June to August in central and southern India. The second variety is sown around January-February. This variety is grown mostly in areas such as Madanapalle, Mysore, Kolar, Sangamner and Narayangaon in Maharashtra, or Solan and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.
As per Agriculture Ministry’s data, as on July 29, tomatoes are being sold in metros at Rs 105/kg in Kolkata, Rs 100-Rs 110/kg in Delhi, Rs 100/kg in Mumbai, and Rs 120/kg in Chennai.
Officials in the Agriculture Ministry said the rise in tomato prices is a seasonal phenomena. They attributed the rise in prices to crop damage in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajashtan and other States due to heavy rain affecting the total supply.
Besides, transportation woes were another reason for skyrocketting prices of tomotoes as the harvested crop could not reach market.
The Agriculture Ministry has pegged the country’s total tomato output to be higher by 15 per cent to 187 lakh tonnes in 2016-17 (July-June). However, the output figures could be revised after assessing the current damage, said an official in the Ministry.