A prominent government official assured that the recent surge in tomato prices is merely a temporary seasonal occurrence and will soon subside.
Prices of tomatoes have reached Rs. 100 per kg in major cities.
Tomatoes Cost Rs. 122/kg in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka
Data from the Department of Consumer Affairs reveals that the average price of tomatoes nationwide on June 27 stands at Rs 46 per kg. The most common price reported is Rs 50 per kg, while the highest recorded price reaches Rs 122 per kg.
Among the four metros, Delhi experiences tomato prices at Rs 60 per kg, Mumbai at Rs 42 per kg, Kolkata at Rs 75 per kg, and Chennai at Rs 67 per kg.
In other major cities, Bengaluru witnesses prices at Rs 52 per kg, Jammu at Rs 80 per kg, Lucknow at Rs 60 per kg, Shimla at Rs 88 per kg, Bhubaneshwar at Rs 100 per kg, and Raipur at Rs 99 per kg.
The maximum price of Rs 122 per kg is reported in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Bellary (Karnataka), according to department data.
As per Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, “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.”
Prices of Tomatoes Double in Delhi NCR
The Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) has observed a doubling of tomato prices in the past week, with prices at Mother Dairy’s Safal stores reaching nearly Rs 80 per kg due to supply disruptions caused by rainfall in key producing states.
Mother Dairy’s Safal retail stores currently sell the finest quality tomatoes at Rs 78 per kg, while some varieties are available at lower rates. The Delhi-NCR market is home to over 300 Safal stores.
Otipy, an agritech startup specializing in fresh fruit and vegetable sales through a mobile app, offers tomatoes at Rs 86 per kg, while the e-commerce platform Big Basket provides them at Rs 80-85 per kg. Local vegetable vendors in the capital city sell tomatoes for prices ranging between Rs 80 and Rs 120 per kg, depending on location and quality.
Government data indicates a slight decrease in tomato production, estimated at 20.62 million tonnes in 2022-23 compared to 20.69 million tonnes in the previous year.
