August 3rd, New Delhi According to wholesale dealers, tomato prices are expected to reach Rs 300 per kilogramme in the next days, and vegetable costs are also rising.
According to Kaushik, who is a member of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), vegetable wholesalers are losing money as a result of the sharp decline in the sale of seasonal crops like tomatoes and peppers.
According to him, the cost of tomatoes has skyrocketed from Rs 160 per kilogramme to Rs 220 per kilogramme in the wholesale market, raising the possibility of an increase in retail pricing.
In the meanwhile, Mother Dairy began selling the essential kitchen staple via its Safal retail outlets on Wednesday at a staggering Rs 259 per kilogramme.
Since more than a month ago, tomato prices have been under pressure as a result of supply difficulties brought on by heavy rains in the major producing areas.
Vegetable transportation in Himachal Pradesh is quite challenging because of landslides and constant rain. According to Azadpur Mandi trader Sanjai Bhagat, exporting veggies from growers takes 6 to 8 hours longer than normal, pushing tomato prices up to approximately Rs 300 per kilogramme.
He said that the quality of the crops they export from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, including tomatoes, has decreased. July brought forth a lot of rain in Himachal Pradesh, which damaged the crops.
According to wholesale sellers, prices may potentially exceed Rs 300 per kilogramme in the near future.
Retail prices in the nation’s capital had started to soften lately owing to the central government’s involvement via the sale of tomatoes at a discounted cost since July 14, but have subsequently firmed up due to a shortage.
Both the supply and demand for tomatoes in the market are low, according to Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), and merchants are having a number of problems.
“Vendors are struggling with issues including delayed vegetable exports and declining quality. Customers have also been avoiding purchasing veggies like tomatoes, capsicums, cauliflower, and cabbage, according to Malhotra.
Tomatoes reached a retail price of Rs 203 per kg on Wednesday, according to statistics collected by the consumer affairs ministry, while the price was ruling at Rs 259 per kg at Mother Dairy’s Safal retail locations.
The previous two months have seen a nationwide shortage of tomatoes due to unusual weather. Arrivals at Azadpur, the primary feeder for Delhi, have decreased significantly over the last two days as well. Because of a shortage, wholesale costs have increased dramatically, which has had an influence on retail pricing as well, according to a Mother Dairy representative.
Ashok Kaushik, president of the Azadpur Tomato Association, said that “in the last three days, the arrival of tomatoes has reduced as the crop has been damaged in the growing regions because of heavy rainfall.”
At Azadpur Mandi, the biggest wholesale market for fruits and vegetables in Asia, tomato prices ranged from Rs 170 to Rs 220 per kg on Wednesday, depending on quality.
