The humble tomato is now on par with theelitist petrol: both cost Rs 100 in some of the cities of India. The supply ofthe most sought-after vegetable has gone up to Rs 120 in Andhra Pradesh'sKurnool district, whereas, in Chennai, the price of tomatoes has gone up to Rs 160per kg.
All this is happening due to crop failure inAndhra Pradesh and Karnataka. With scanty supply and an increase in demand, priceshave gone through the roof.
However, there’s some relief in the prices ofcarrots and cauliflower. They are priced at nearly Rs 50. But, other vegetableslike beans, brinjal and ladyfinger are in the range of Rs 60-80.
Tomato is one of the prominent vegetables. Dueto high prices, the ingredient has disappeared from the kitchen and saladplates of the consumers.
"Due to rains in southern Indian states,crops got damaged; so, rates of those items have increased here. But this isnot the sole reason behind this state of affair," a farmer said. Vegetablewholesalers said that the prices of vegetables have increased sharply due tothe increase in the prices of petrol and diesel. The cost of transportation isalso one of the reasons for rise in the prices of tomatoes.
"The weekly budget is fluctuatingbecause of rising prices of essential kitchen items. Not just tomatoes, allitems cost more, making it difficult to cook a proper meal," said SakshiK, a homemaker. Another customer said that our monthly budget is gettingdisturbed due to rising tomato prices.
Rains in Himachal Pradesh have also resultedin a hike in the prices of vegetables. According to sources, it has come tolight that the prices of vegetables, especially, tomatoes will not go down untilPatiala will not start supplying them. Within the next 10-15 days, Patiala will startsupplying tomatoes.