Retail price of tomatoes skyrocket to Rs 130 per kg in Madurai
The stock began to dwindle two weeks ago owing to incessant rainfall in neighbouring states and the situation has only gotten worse since then.
Published: 02nd July 2023 07:49 AM | Last Updated: 02nd July 2023 07:49 AM | A+A A-
Image used for representational purposes.(Express)
MADURAI: With the arrival of vegetables from other states further shrinking, the retail price of tomatoes has shot to over Rs 130 per kg in Madurai. The prices of small onions and green chilli have also breached the Rs 100 mark. The stock began to dwindle two weeks ago owing to incessant rainfall in neighbouring states and the situation has only gotten worse since then.
On June 24, the price of tomatoes in the Madurai wholesale market stood at Rs 350 - Rs 650 per 15-kg crate. Within just a week, the price has doubled. On Saturday, the price per 15-kg crate varied between Rs 800 and Rs 1,300. Central market all traders federation in Madurai president N Chinnamayan said the average demand for tomatoes at Mattuthavani market, which caters to the vegetable needs of several southern districts, is 100 tonnes per day.
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"Recently, the daily tomato arrival plummeted to 48 tonnes, and now it has further slipped to 35 tonnes. The price is expected to further skyrocket, and return to normalcy only after the harvest season in the Tamil month of Aadi (July - August). For other vegetables also, the stock arrival has significantly reduced. The state government should ensure that nobody is hoarding the stock to create artificial demand," he added.
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Both traders and the common public have been pushed into harrowing times owing to the marked increase in vegetable prices.
