Tomato prices have been rising in the city’s retail market for over a week. Heavy rain in major tomato-producing States caused a slump in the arrivals at the Koyambedu wholesale market in Chennai.
The retail price of tomato rose to ₹60 a kg on Wednesday. Wholesale traders said the price was ₹20 a kg two weeks ago. There were instances of traders dumping the unsold stock of some vegetables, including tomatoes.
The Koyambedu market received only 40-50 lorry loads of tomatoes on Wednesday as against the usual quota of 80-90 lorry loads. Arrivals from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh dropped to 40% of the normal daily share. The stock from Tamil Nadu was only minimal.
P. Sukumar, treasurer, Koyambedu Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers Merchants’ Association, said persistent rain in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh caused extensive damage to the crop. “The cost of tomatoes is usually stable and sells for ₹20 to ₹30 a kg around this time of the year. Prices go up during the rainy season in November. But this year, the prices have shot up from September itself,” he said.
Wholesalers expect the prices to touch ₹80 or ₹90 a kg if the rain continues in the neighbouring States. Rain had pushed up prices of some other vegetables like carrots, beans and broad beans. While carrots are priced between ₹60 and ₹85 a kg in the wholesale market, beans and broad beans were sold at ₹50 a kg. However, the traders pointed out that the prices of local varieties such as brinjal and ladies fingers remained at the usual levels.
Meanwhile, the State government has started to sell tomatoes for ₹40-₹42 a kg in the Farm Fresh consumer outlets in the city.
