Tomato Price Shoots Up To Rs 100/kg: Check Latest Rates

The prices of tomatoes have skyrocketed across the country due to low production and delayed rainfall in most parts of the country.

The price of tomato, the key kitchen staple, has crossed the Rs 100 kg mark in several metro cities.

It is available at Rs 80 per kg in Delhi, Rs 50 in Kanpur, Rs 60 in Chennai and Rs 100 in Bengaluru, as per official data.

"Earlier, the price of Tomato was Rs 30 per kg, after that I bought it for Rs 50 per kg and now it has become Rs 100. Price is going to go up further and we're helpless, we have to buy," Suraj Gaur, a resident in Bengaluru said.

Why is there an uptick in tomato prices?

According to reports, delayed monsoons, high temperatures, and low production have contributed to the increase in prices of tomatoes recently.

On the other hand, heavy rains in some parts of India might be behind the significant spike in prices.

A vegetable vendor in the Dilshad Garden area said the supply of tomatoes got affected due to rains. "Supply has been affected due to rains. We are selling tomatoes from Himachal Pradesh. People are bargaining hard. But we cannot lower the price since we ourselves have to buy at a higher price. We hope the situation gets better in the coming days," he said.

Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), said tomato prices shoot up every monsoon but it was never this high.

"Prices go up every year during monsoon but the cost of tomatoes never went up this high. There is a major dip in supply due to the rains. Around half of our stock, which we got from Himachal Pradesh, got damaged," Malhotra told PTI.

Delhi gets tomato supply from neighbouring states such as Haryana and Punjab and the hill states.

Opposition attacks govt

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi attacked Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman amid the soaring price of tomatoes across the country.

"Does the country's finance minister eat tomatoes? Will you be able to answer the rising prices of tomatoes?" Chaturvedi tweeted in Hindi.

Priyanka's tweet was an apparent reference to Sitharaman's comment on onion prices during the winter session of Parliament in 2019.

"I don't eat a lot of onions and garlic, so don't worry. I come from a family that doesn't have much to do with onions," Sitharaman had said.