The prices of tomatoes and Bellary onion are seeing a spike in the Tiruchi wholesale market due to dwindling arrivals from States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, where the crops have been reportedly hit by widespread rain.
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The price of tomatoes ruled between ₹35-₹45, depending on quality, in the city markets on Tuesday. This was more than double the rate that prevailed just about 10 days ago, traders said.
US Karuppaiah, president of Gandhi Market United Corporation-approved Permanent and Platform Traders’ Association, said widespread rain in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, besides Theni and Dindigul districts in Tamil Nadu, had affected the tomato yield and, hence, arrivals had come down.
On Tuesday, a kilo of top quality Bellary onion was being sold at ₹45, up by ₹ 15 a kg over the past 10 days, at the market. Prior to that, the price range of Bellary onion was ₹20 to ₹15 a kg for over three months, A. Thangaraj, general secretary, Tiruchi Onion Commission Mandi Traders’ Association, said.
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Mr. Thangaraj attributed the price rise to the rain in Karnataka and Maharashtra, which damaged part of the Bellary onions crop in the two States. “Realising this, traders in Maharashtra have begun stocking up leading to an artificial short supply. Arrivals from Nasik to the market has dwindled to just about 100 tonnes against the normal supply of about 250 tonnes a day,” Mr.Thangaraj said.
Although the market was getting about 150 tonnes of onion from Karnataka, the quality of the rain-hit crop was not good. “We have to sell it within three to four days. Besides, about 15% to 20% of the consignments are damaged,” Mr. Thangaraj said.
However, there was a glut of small onion in the market. The shallots were being sold in the range of ₹10 to ₹25 a kg depending on the quality.
Traders in the market predicted that the prices of both onion and tomatoes would depend on the monsoon. If there was more heavy rain, the prices could still climb up in the coming days, they said.