Last Sunday, the price of tomato was Rs 178 per kg in the market of New Delhi, the capital of India. According to the country’s food ministry, the average price of tomatoes in the country’s market that day was Rs 120 per kg. News from Economic Times.
Heavy rainfall has disrupted production and supply in mainly tomato-producing states of India. The price has increased so much that buyers are about to lose their breath. Many families have temporarily stopped eating tomatoes. Although tomato is one of the ingredients in many traditional dishes of India.
Ishwar Gaikwar and his wife Sonali, a farmer from the Junar region of Maharashtra, India, grow tomatoes on 12 acres of land. So far this season they have made a profit of Rs 2.4 crore, whereas in the previous season they made a profit of Rs 1.5 crore.
The couple’s farm employs 60 to 70 daily laborers. They are one of the largest suppliers of tomatoes in the region. Ishwar Gaikwa has become a celebrity in the local media, with journalists clamoring to interview him.
Ishwar Gaikwaar said that even before this month and a half, the profit was around Rs 2.50 per kg sold. Even in 2021, he had a loss of 20 lakh rupees. But this time his poabaro; Supply is short, but demand is good.
The couple has delivered 350 tonnes of tomatoes in the past few weeks. They hope to sell another 150 tons of tomatoes soon, if the weather is not unfavorable. They harvest three times a year. The crop now on the tree is 120 to 140 days old.
Heavy rains caused flooding in some parts of India, causing supply disruptions. Along with the increase in the price of tomato, the price of other vegetables also increased in the Indian market. In this situation, the rate of inflation in the country may increase. The issue has now become the top news in newspapers, and debates are also taking place on social media. According to the consumers, this situation has arisen because of the rain god and the authorities.
The government has started selling tomatoes at subsidized prices in many places, setting up street-running vans. Although it has worked a bit, the price of tomatoes is still very high in this country of 1.4 billion population. Tomato prices already go up in countries like India during July-August, but this year the prices are exorbitantly higher.
If the supply system normalizes, tomato prices will come down next week, although growers are reaping the benefits of the price hike.
Mahendra Nikam, a tomato seller in Surat, Gujarat, sold tomatoes for Rs 130. He told Economic Times, “I have never sold vegetables at such a price before.” However, less than two months ago, the farmers threw tomatoes at the roots of the trees which are used as cattle feed because they did not get the price.
Dwipak Chavan, a Pune-based independent market analyst, told the Economic Times that the demand for tomatoes in nurseries is increasing due to the price hike. He also said, ‘No doubt, this demand or prosperity is temporary, even in September, the market may be sold in tomatoes.’