- Friday, February 28, 2025
The spike in tomato prices, caused by a combination of heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and crop damage, is contributing to financial burdens and reduced consumption for the general public.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE rising prices of tomatoes are causing hardships to the general public across India, with the vegetable being sold at high rates in several cities, reaching as high as Rs 80-100 (£0.77-0.96) a kilogram. In Delhi, the price of tomatoes on Wednesday (28) ranged between Rs 90-100 (£0.87-0.96) per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Twitter was flooded with memes related to the soaring prices of tomatoes as opposition Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party targeted each other over the growing price of food items.
Deepak, a tomato seller in Delhi, explained that while they obtain tomatoes at wholesale prices of Rs 60-80 (£0.58-0.77) per kilogram, the retail prices for consumers have escalated to Rs 90-100 due to recent rainfall, which has led to a decrease in supply from tomato-growing areas.
The soaring tomato prices in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh are forcing people to reduce their daily food consumption. Vendors report that the cost has reached Rs 100 per kilogram, causing individuals to purchase smaller quantities, such as 250 grams. The sudden increase in prices over the past few days is significantly impacting people’s pockets.
Tomato prices have experienced a significant surge across the country, rising from Rs 10-20 (£0.09-0.19) per kilogram to Rs 80-100 per kilogram. The scarcity of tomatoes can be attributed to heatwaves in tomato-growing regions and heavy rainfall, which have negatively affected crop production.
Ajay Kedia, a commodity market expert based in Mumbai, explained that this year fewer tomatoes were cultivated due to various factors. Some farmers switched to growing other crops, such as beans, after the price of beans increased last year.
However, the crops have suffered due to insufficient monsoon rainfall, resulting in crop damage and limited vegetable supplies, particularly tomatoes.
The situation is similar in the southern state Karnataka, where tomato prices have skyrocketed due to incessant rains damaging the crops and hampering transportation. In Bengaluru, the capital city, tomatoes were being sold at Rs 100 per kilogram in one market.
According to the department of consumer affairs under the ministry of consumer affairs, the average retail price of tomatoes rose from Rs 25 (£0.24) to Rs 41 (£0.39) per kilogram, with maximum prices reaching Rs 80-113 (£0.77-1.09) in retail markets. Wholesale markets also experienced a significant increase in vegetable prices, with an average jump of 60-70 per cent in June.
The spike in tomato prices, caused by a combination of heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and crop damage, is contributing to financial burdens and reduced consumption for the general public.
Here are some funny takes that Twitter came up with over rising prices of tomatoes in India:
Best finance minister ever#TomatoPrice pic.twitter.com/mQEPhlIG9R
— Akshata soni (@akshatasoni7) June 27, 2023
Conversion between Tomato and Apple ????#TomatoPrice #Bakrid #Encounter #PetrolDieselPrice #Fighter pic.twitter.com/Vdeg9OxN7B
— Ayesha (@Ayesha86627087) June 27, 2023
#TomatoPrice #UniformCivilCode cartoon @DeccanHerald pic.twitter.com/SMhHu2QzU6
— sajithkumar (@sajithkumar) June 29, 2023
Returning home with 2kg tomato#TomatoPrice pic.twitter.com/TH1oSEaELl
— Thanos Pandit™ (@Thanos_pandith) June 27, 2023
#TomatoPrice Now ??? ?? pic.twitter.com/De202L9v2k
— Suresh Verma (@sureshverma1987) June 27, 2023
Tomato Price is SkyRocketing nationwide. Most places above 100/kg. Lowest Puducherry Rs.13/ as on 27th June.
Rest of India..
Don't Buy Tomato. It may resulted to.?? pic.twitter.com/ilPzhKVP61— RAHUL (@RahulSeeker) June 28, 2023
#TomatoPrice
A month back,tomato prices crashed to Rs 5 per Kg….Farmers dumped hoards of tomatoes onto the streets,highlighting negligence by successive Govts in not acquiring the produce.
Scientific storage facilities help stabilize agri prices.
Consumer is the loser.. sad ? pic.twitter.com/SYuoDgUuAk— Mabrin Batliwalla (@MabrinB) June 29, 2023
