Chennai: Tomato Prices Skyrocket, Burning a Hole in Pockets

Chennai's tomato lovers are in for a sour surprise - prices have shot up to ₹60 per kg in the Koyambedu wholesale market and ₹80 per kg in retail shops, as supplies from Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states dwindle.

Vegetables from across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka usually roll into Koyambedu by the truckload, from where retailers stock up for local markets. But this week, the picture is very different. Continuous heavy rains in all three states have hit tomato cultivation hard, slashing yields and disrupting transportation.

Just last month, abundant supply had pushed tomato prices down to ₹10-15 per kg, and until last week, they were selling for ₹20. With Chennai's daily demand hovering around 1,300 tonnes, the reduced inflow has now driven prices up threefold in a matter of days, climbing by ₹20 per kg in just the past week.

Farmers warn that if the poor supply continues, prices could climb even higher in the coming weeks.

At Koyambedu, first-grade onions are currently priced at ₹24 per kg and second-grade onions at ₹20, while rates for most other vegetables remain steady, traders said.