Tomato prices have risen eight-fold in the last three months and could require government intervention like those that brought the prices of onions and pulses under control.
In November, tomato prices have firmed up 30 per cent on reports of crop damage in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Traders estimate 15-20 per cent crop damage across the country.
Data compiled by the National Horticulture Board showed tomato prices in Bengaluru, jumped 700 per cent since September to Rs 4,000 a quintal. In Chennai, prices jumped 415 per cent, in Mumbai, they were up 335 per cent.