The price of tomatoes, a widely used vegetable in the Indian kitchen, has been on the rise for some time now with rates soaring up to Rs 250 per kg in Gangotri and Rs 180 to 200 per kg in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
Many attributed the sharp rise in vegetable prices to the prevailing heatwave in key tomato-growing areas, as well as heavy rains, leading to a disruption in supply chains. With tomatoes having a relatively lower shelf life, it becomes difficult to store them thus leading to having a bearing on their prices.
"Consumers are bearing the brunt of the rising prices of tomatoes in Uttarkashi. People are not even willing to buy them. In Gangotri, Yamunotri, tomatoes are going at Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kg," Rakesh, a vegetable seller told ANI.
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In Chennai, tomatoes are currently selling at Rs 100-130 per kg. Faced with a price pinch, the Tamil Nadu government has started selling tomatoes at a subsidized rate of Rs 60 per kg at ration shops in state capital Chennai in a bid to bring some respite to the consumers amid the price spiral. Like many states, Karnataka has also seen tomato prices go through the roof in recent days.
Tomato prices in Bengaluru range from Rs 101 to 121 per kilogram. The high prices have been attributed to the sudden temperature increase in March and April, resulting in pest attacks on the tomato yield higher market rates.
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