Tomato turns costly on tight supply in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Pushing down the onion from the top of the price list, the tomato is now surging ahead with prices on a constant upward for the last couple of weeks. Many supermarkets and retailers are selling tomatoes at prices ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 110 a kg. The prices are likely to remain in […]

Hyderabad: Pushing down the onion from the top of the price list, the tomato is now surging ahead with prices on a constant upward for the last couple of weeks. Many supermarkets and retailers are selling tomatoes at prices ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 110 a kg. The prices are likely to remain in that range till mid-June when local farmers harvest their crops.

The torrid summer months and unusual increase in fuel prices are said to be the reasons behind the rise in prices of tomatoes.

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“Usually in May, the supply of tomatoes from local farms is very less because the heat conditions cause a lot of damage to the crop. Despite using innovative techniques, the yield is no match to the quantity of the produce we get during the remaining part of the year due to unfavourable weather conditions,” a Horticulture Department official said.

Local traders, to cater to the market demand, are sourcing tomatoes from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. “Between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of the supply of tomatoes is now from other States while the local produce is just around 30 per cent. The traders spend huge money on transportation and hence pass on the expenses to the customers,” a senior official of the Agriculture Marketing Department said.

On Thursday, a 25 kg box of tomatoes was sold for Rs 1,800 at the Shamshabad vegetable market on NH 44. Vegetable vendors from the southern part of the city head to this wholesale market every morning.

“Local supplies are very less. We are getting tomatoes from Karnataka,” pointed out Srinu, a trader. A couple of weeks ago, he sold a box of tomatoes for Rs 800 each. At the Falaknuma Rythu Bazaar, the tomato is priced at Rs 54 a kg. However, there is no stock at all at a majority of the stalls and at a few where it is available, the vendors are not willing to give it at the price fixed by the authorities. “The vendors are not ready to sell it at the price mentioned on the board. They argue that they will incur losses if it is sold at the Rythu Bazaar price,” pointed out Mohd Amair, a businessman from Falaknuma.

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