“Rise in tomato prices will cool down soon”- Consumer Affairs Secretary

The sudden increase in the prices of tomatoes has become a phenomenon issue for the citizens as the vendors are selling per kg at the rate of Rs 80-120. This rising price is just a seasonal cause of every year and the rates will come down soon, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said.

In an interview with PTI Mr Singh revealed that tomato is a perishable item and transportation services usually get affected in heavy rain-prone areas. So there is an instant rise in price. It happens every year during this time but eventually, the prices will cool down.

As per the data analyzed by the Consumer Affairs department, the average price of tomatoes all over India as on 27 June is Rs 46 per kg, while the modal price is Rs 50 per kg and the highest price is Rs 122 per kg.

Rains have highly affected the prices of regular household commodities like tomatoes in metropolitan cities. The retail price in Delhi is Rs 60 per kg, in Mumbai, it’s Rs 42 per Kg, and in Kolkata Rs 75 per kg.

In other major cities, the prices have spiked at Rs 52 per kg in Bengaluru, Rs 60 per kg in Lucknow, and Rs 80 per kg in Jammu. The city receiving tomato at the maximum price is Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Bellary (Karnataka) for Rs 122 per kg.

A vegetable vendor from Paschim Vihar, West Delhi has revealed that they used to sell tomatoes for Rs 25-30 per kg around June 15, and slightly after that the prices started rising from Rs 40, then Rs 60, and currently, they are selling it at Rs 80 per kg.

Groceries startup application Otipy, which sells fresh fruits and vegetables through online delivery is selling it at the rate of Rs 86 per kg. While Big Basket, another e-commerce website is selling it between Rs 80-85 per kg.