Tomato prices, which have been soaring and touched Rs 80-100 per kg in retail markets across the country, are likely to remain the same for at least next two months. The fresh crop is expected to hit markets by end-August only.
Normally, prices of tomato firm up in the off-season of June-September every year, but the sharp increase in rates, this time, was mainly due to the damage caused to the rabi crop because of a severe drought in southern states.
However, in the last 15 days, the rates have gone through the roof and the key vegetable is being sold at Rs 80-100 per kg by local vegetable vendors, depending on the quality and locality.
At Dadar vegetable market, prices aren't competitive either.
Ravi Viyas, a vendor who bought about 250 kgs of tomatoes a day, and made good sales until a month ago, now purchases only 150 kgs. "From where to buy that much quantity. And, I can't afford it too, with the prices so high," he said adding, "The size has shrunk too, these are all baby tomatoes."
Prashant Chehre, who deals with tomatoes in wholesale, however, says he buys three times the quantity now. "Prices low or high, the demand among caterers and hotel owners remains intact. This gives me an upper hand. Also, I have the facility to stock to sell for better prices."
Homemakers, meanwhile, are worried. Says Sneha Jadhav, a housewife who was buying cabbage at the Dadar market, "Until a month ago, I used to buy 1 kg; now, for the same price, I am not even getting 250 grams."
Tomato is not the only vegetable whose prices are soaring. While vendors blame lack of rains and drought for the price rise, staple vegetables like potatoes and onions are also gradually raising the bar with an expected price rise of at least 50% after monsoons begin.
—Aadesh Choudhari/dna
Meanwhile, bundled herbs and vegetable are also expected to rise. Gangarao Yadav who deals with bundled vegetables said, "The size of the bundle has come down while the prices have gone up. It affects our estimate, as well as profit counting."
"Prices have gone up because of tight supply from the major growing states of the south where the rabi crop has been damaged during the flowering stage because of the severe drought," a senior official with Consumer Affairs Ministry said.
"The fresh tomato crop is expected to arrive only in September and till then prices are expected to remain under pressure," he added.
According to the government's initial calculations, tomato output is estimated to be higher by 4-5 per cent in 2015-16 over the last year. "It looks like the production figures may have to be revised downward when final estimates are to be released in September," the official added.
As per the latest government estimate, the country's tomato output is pegged at 18.28 million tonnes in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June) as against 16.38 million tonnes in the previous year. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha are the major tomato growing states.
On Wednesday, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said the rise in tomato prices was a "seasonal factor" and the commodity cannot be procured using the Price Stabilisation Fund due to short-shelf life of the key vegetable. The government is procuring pulses and onion to create a buffer stock to be used for controlling prices by boosting supply in the open market at a cheaper rate.
