TIRUPATI: Easing the household budget, the dip in tomato prices brought a major relief to the consumers as the kitchen staple traded at Rs 40 per kilo at Madanapalle, Asia’s largest wholesale market, here on Friday.
It may be noted that the prices of fine-quality tomatoes registered an all-time high price of Rs 218 per kilo on August 1. The tomato prices had become dearer due to low produce and high crop damage following incessant rainfall in July.
The kitchen staple had become scarcer in the local markets. The increase in demand and poor supply led to tomato prices going through the roof from Rs 60 to Rs 200 per kilo at the wholesale market in a matter of 20-25 days.
However, prices dropped as arrivals improved. Madanapalle market received 402 MT of tomatoes on Friday. The increase in arrivals from Anantapur resulted in the dip in wholesale prices, said Gurramkonda market secretary, Jagadeesh.
“The prices of tomatoes will dip further once the produce from the Anantapur region becomes more frequent. Tomatoes from local wholesale markets in Anantapur are being exported to West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra and Karnataka,” said Madanapalle tomato market yard secretary T Abhilash.
Meanwhile, tomatoes are being sold at Rs 47.50 per kg in the Kakinada town main market as of Friday, which resulted in dwindling stocks in rythu bazaars in the district. The traders in other parts of the district are selling tomatoes at Rs 60-Rs 80 per kilo based on the variety. On the other hand, tomatoes are being traded at Rs 50 per kilo in the Kadapa district.
“We are buying tomatoes for Rs 60 per kg. Traders are saying that prices will come down further in a couple of days. We have cut down the usage of tomatoes in the recent past due to the soaring prices,” said K Siva, a consumer from Nellore City.