Why Are Tomato Prices Rising, and When Will They Decline?

The cost of tomatoes has increased, going from Rs 10–20 per kg to Rs 80–100 per kg. In addition to tomatoes, other vegetables have seen price increases throughout the nation. At a time when inflation has recently dropped below the RBI’s tolerance ceiling of 6%, this is a cause for worry.

The cost of running a home has increased as a result of the increasing price of vegetables, particularly tomatoes. As tomato prices reach Rs 100 per kg in Bhopal, customers there claim that the middle and lower classes are most negatively impacted.

Why Are the Costs of Tomatoes and Other Vegetables Rising?

According to a PTI report citing wholesalers, prices of tomatoes and other vegetables have climbed dramatically in several areas of Rajasthan as a result of multiple causes, including severe rains brought on by cyclonic storm Biparjoy.

Due to the monsoon season’s arrival and the subsequent torrential rains brought on by cyclonic storm Biparjoy, which damaged farmers’ crops, tomato prices have climbed four to five times.

According to the wholesalers, the cost of all veggies has also climbed by a factor of one to two.

Ajay Kedia, the head of Kedia Advisory and a commodities market analyst headquartered in Mumbai, was quoted in the paper as saying that “this year, for a number of reasons, less tomatoes were grown than in recent years. Many farmers decided to produce beans this year because the price of beans skyrocketed last year. The crops have dried up and wilted since there haven’t been any monsoon rains, however. The scarcity of vegetables, especially tomatoes, is a result of agricultural damage brought on by both intense heat and excessive rains.

In certain areas of Mumbai, the cost of the kitchen need rose to an absurd Rs 80–110 per kg, while in Delhi, tomato costs are now fluctuating between Rs 80 and Rs 100.

Tomatoes are now more expensive than ever throughout the nation, with prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 120 per kg in Bengaluru, Rs 90 to Rs 100 in Mysuru, Rs 40 to 50 in Kolkata, and Rs 100 in Chennai.

Tomatoes are sold in retail stores in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for Rs 100 per kilogram, with a wholesale price of Rs 80–90 per kg. Vegetable dealers were reported by the news agency ANI as claiming that rain had affected the supply of tomatoes, which are imported into the city from Bengaluru.

When Will the Price of Tomatoes Drop?

According to Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, the rise in tomato prices is a brief seasonal phenomena, and prices will shortly decline.

It is a very perishable item, he said. In locations that experienced unexpected rain, transportation is impacted. It’s a short-term problem. Prices are about to decline. Every year around this time, it takes place.