NEW DELHI: Vegetable vendors and wholesalers have blamed rains for disruption in tomato supply, leading to the price of the kitchen staple skyrocketing in retail markets of the city. Local vendors are selling tomatoes in the price range of Rs 80 to Rs 140 per kg, depending on the quality and the localities.
“It’s hardly 2-3 days since we are witnessing manifold increase in tomato prices. Few days ago it was varying around Rs 20-40 per kg but now we are paying more than Rs 100 for the same. The retailers are blaming wholesale markets but the common people are suffering. It is not only tomatoes but other vegetables are also being sold at higher rates,” said Shweta Shriwastava, a resident of Yamuna Vihar area.
In various Delhi mandis, supply of tomato has not just reduced up to 50 per cent but price have also gone up by 3-4 times. Asia’s largest Azadpur Mandi is receiving tomatoes between Rs 40 and Rs 80 as a wholesale price and the retailers are selling the same between Rs 80 and Rs 180 depending on quality and locality. The sordid part is that the consumers may not get relief from skyrocketing prices until 3 to 4 weeks as they are expecting no arrival of stock from other states due to prediction of heavy rains.
Delhi mandis usually receives stock of tomato from South Indian states, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana in wholesale and supply in the national capital and its adjoining belts. Now, when monsoon rain has arrived, supply from South India and Maharashtra has been drastically reduced.
Delhi Tomato Association President and member of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Ashok Kaushik said that prices have gone up in the retail market due to dependency on Himachal Pradesh only and supply will not be same from the hill state due to rains and hailstorm.
“Owing to the poor supply in wholesale markets such as Azadpur Mandi, Okhla Mandi, Ghazipur Mandi, Nangloi Mandi, among other, we are forced to sell vegetables to retails on higher rate and in consequence markets of only Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Hapur, etc are selling retailers on increased price.”
Mahender, a retailer in Noida, said that they are getting tomatoes at an increased price from the wholesale market hence selling at increased rates. “Earlier we were purchasing tomatoes at Rs 5- 20 per kg but now it costs Rs 60-80 per kg. Additionally, we incur transportation, storage and other unavoidable expenditure. Secondly, we cannot store tomatoes for a long time due to their perishable nature, hence we have no more options left,” he said.