India: Tomato prices skyrocket to Rs 40 ($0.67 USD) per kg
Local vendors as well as Mother Dairy's Safal outlets are selling tomatoes currently at Rs 40 per kg ($0.67 USD), double of Rs 20 per kg ($0.33 USD) at which the staple was being sold a fortnight ago.
According to traders at Azadpur Mandi, prices of tomato in the wholesale market have risen to Rs 20-25 per kg ($0.33-$0.42 USD) from Rs 10 per kg ($0.17 USD) at the start of this month.
"Supplies of tomatos from nearby areas in Haryana have been exhausted. Currently the supplies are coming from Bangalore and Naryangaon in Maharashtra," Mother Dairy's Fruit and Vegetable Business Head Pradipta Sahoo told PTI.
General Secretary Tomato Merchants Association at Azadpur Mandi Subhash Chuk attributed the tomatoes price rise to anticipation of poor monsoon as tomato supplies in northern regions have almost exhausted.
"Among all vegetables, Tomato requires maximum water therefore its prices rising in anticipation of poor monsoon," Chuk said.
He also added tomato supplies from Northern India getting exhausted also pushed prices upwards.
Source: financialexpress.com