The price of tomatoes has been dipping in Vellore, touching as low as Rs. 5 per kilo this week.
“After soaring to almost Rs. 80 per kg a few months ago, the price of tomatoes dropped to Rs. 20 and this week, it came down to Rs. 8 and then to Rs. 5. This is because of an increased supply due to the high yield in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,” said A. Balu, president of Vellore Town Nethaji Market Kaikari Vyabarigal Sangam.
A major chunk of tomatoes that arrives at Vellore comes from Andhra Pradesh. The drop in prices might be good news for consumers, but it is not so for shopkeepers.
“Selling tomatoes at such low rates is not profitable for traders. As the supply is more, tomatoes are available everywhere. So, if it does not sell well, vendors end up selling the produce for cheaper rates, keeping in mind that it perishes quickly,” he said.
And, it’s not just tomatoes. The prices of most vegetables have come down, he said. The popular thorny brinjal, which is locally produced, is priced at Rs. 15 to Rs. 20, while brinjal varieties from Andhra Pradesh and Ottanchatiram in Dindigul cost Rs. 6-7 this week.
Onion costs Rs. 5 to Rs. 15 a kg, while potato costs Rs. 20 -Rs. 25.
The cost of other vegetables is: ladies’s finger (Rs. 10), beans (Rs. 15), carrot (Rs. 20-Rs. 30), avarakkai (Rs. 20), beetroot (Rs. 15), cabbage (Rs. 10-Rs. 15), peas (Rs. 50-Rs. 60), drumstick (Rs. 20), snake gourd (Rs. 15), bitter gourd (Rs. 20), radish (Rs. 15), ginger (Rs. 40 (new) and Rs. 60 (old)). A bunch of coriander costs between Rs. 15 and Rs. 30.
