A top official from the central government has said that the spike in prices of tomatoes is a temporary seasonal phenomenon and rates will cool down soon, reported news agency PTI. The comment comes as the retail prices of this essential kitchen staple reportedly shot up to Rs 100 per kg in major cities. According to the data maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average price of tomato on an all-India basis is Rs 46 per kg on June 27, the report said adding that the modal price is Rs 50 per kg while the maximum price is Rs 122 per kg.
"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," Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI.
Also Read: Heavy Rain Leads To Spike In Tomatoes Prices, Crosses Rs 100 Per Kg In Bengaluru
Tomato Price In Major Cities
According to the news agency Tomato prices vary across major cities. In Delhi, the retail price is Rs 60 per kg, while in Mumbai it is Rs 42 per kg. Kolkata is witnessing tomato prices at Rs 75 per kg, and in Chennai, the price is Rs 67 per kg. Other cities also have varying prices, such as Rs 52 per kg in Bengaluru, Rs 80 per kg in Jammu, Rs 60 per kg in Lucknow, Rs 88 per kg in Shimla, Rs 100 per kg in Bhubaneshwar, and Rs 99 per kg in Raipur.
Some regions have reported even higher prices, with Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Bellary (Karnataka) witnessing the maximum price of Rs 122 per kg, according to department data.
In the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), tomato prices at Mother Dairy's Safal stores have surged to nearly Rs 80 per kg in the past week due to reduced supplies caused by heavy rainfall in major tomato-producing states.
On Tuesday, the best quality tomatoes at Mother Dairy's Safal retail stores are priced at Rs 78 per kg, the report said adding that some varieties are available at lower rates also. There are more than 300 Safal stores in the Delhi-NCR market.
"With the onset of monsoon, the tomato crop is currently going through a seasonal transition. Rainfall in areas such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have impacted the crop and also restricted its supply, resulting in a demand-supply gap," a Mother Dairy spokesperson said.
Otipy, an agritech startup that specializes in selling fresh fruits and vegetables through a mobile app, is currently offering tomatoes at Rs 86 per kg, as per the report. Alternatively, customers can also purchase tomatoes at the price range of Rs 80-85 per kg on the popular e-commerce platform, Big Basket.
Vegetable vendors in the national capital are selling tomatoes between Rs 80-120 per kg, depending on the location and quality.
"We were selling tomatoes at Rs 25-30 per kg around June 15. It started to increase gradually after that to Rs 40, then Rs 60 and now we are selling at Rs 80 per kg," Babloo, a vegetable vendor in Paschim Vihar, West Delhi, told the news agency.
According to government data, tomato production is expected to experience a slight decline from 20.69 million tonnes in the previous year to an estimated 20.62 million tonnes in 2022-23.