CHENNAI: The wholesale price of tomatoes dipped below Rs 100 per kg in many parts of the state on Sunday after a gap of several weeks. The unprecedented price rise in the last two months had even witnessed the vegetable’s price breach the Rs 200 per kg mark, and the public had begun to substitute the kitchen staple with other alternatives.
The steep rise in tomato prices was attributed to a slump in supply triggered by weather conditions not favourable for cultivation across the country. Traders said when the price began to rise last year, tomatoes were brought in from the northern parts of the country to stabilise the situation.
“However, this year, the northern states were also affected by rains. So, whatever Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka could produce, found takers across the country and the price began to steadily climb,” said a trader at Koyambedu wholesale market.
The traders added that when the price began to rise two months ago, lots of farmers opted for tomato cultivation (which takes around 70 days to reach harvest-ready conditions), and as a result, the supply to markets is witnessing a sudden increase now.
Meanwhile, the price of tomatoes fell to Rs 60 per kg in Tiruppur district on Sunday after hitting a record Rs 150 per kg last month. Officials said increased arrival of tomatoes to the markets can be expected in the next few days too. Speaking to TNIE, NY Shidubeen, a wholesaler in Tirupppur, said, “In the past two days, around 40 tonnes of tomatoes arrived at Thennampalayam market. As a result, the price of a 15-kg crate has dropped to Rs 800. During the last week in July, the same crate was sold for Rs 1,800.”
S Moorthy, a farmer from Palladam, said, “I started growing tomatoes on my farm and have been getting good yield for the past two days. However, the traders who bought a crate of tomatoes for Rs 1,200 from nearby fields are only offering Rs 750 now.” An official from the horticulture department said, “Tomato is a 90-day crop and some farmers begin harvest after just 70 days. These arrivals are mostly from the farms in Palladam, Madathukulam, Udumalaipet taluks of Tiruppur district. No supply has arrived from Erode, Dindigul or Dharmapuri districts yet.”
Speaking to TNIE, N Chinnamayan, president of the Central Market All Traders Federation in Madurai, said, “Tomato prices started to increase on July 1 when the supply from the local cultivators decreased by 50%. Alternate supply disruption from local markets and also outside markets kept the prices high for a long time. In a first, a 15-kg crate was sold for over Rs 2,000 in Madurai. The supply has stabilised now and the prices have dropped below Rs 100 per kg.”
(With inputs from Tiruppur and Madurai)
