Gram for gram, tomatoes have cost more than petrol in recent times. To understand why, we must return to origins because in tomatoes, as in life, where we come from shapes us fundamentally. Tomatoes originated in the Andes Mountains, where average temperatures hover around 20 degrees C. Even after centuries of being away from its birth home, the plant still grows best at temperatures between 20-24 degrees C. The climate of large parts of India is suited to tomato growing during part of the year, and so, in a geological blink, the tomato edged out the native tamarind to become the preferred source of sourness in Indian cuisine. Then, unfortunately, the climate changed.
Before we delve in further, remember tomato prices typically peak in June-July because it’s the lean period between two big harvests. This year, those regions were affected by climate problems, and so tomato prices rose abnormally. In mid-May, a heatwave struck many tomato-growing districts. Tomatoes are finicky about their water and temperature needs, which is why the highest tomato yields are achieved in a greenhouse. Too hot, and the plant doesn’t flower, blossoms fall prematurely, or the fruit doesn’t ripen. The Andean tomato was never meant to withstand such heat, and its yield suffered. The monsoon was delayed in large parts of India, damaging the summer crop further.
July also brought floods. Himachal, an important source of July’s tomatoes, was hit by the combined onslaught of western disturbances and the monsoon. Several districts received more than twice their monthly rainfall in a matter of days and flooded, ruining crops and blocking exports from out of state. Tomatoes rot quickly — especially in damp weather — so delay means loss. And in the flood and rain, prices began to climb. All eyes turned to Karnataka’s Kolar market, another key source for July tomatoes. My mother grew up near Kolar, and she speaks of the delicious summer weather there — tomato-heaven, as it were. But Kolar was disappointed this year. Why? Climate again. Tomatoes, like us, are hurt by viral infections. Ground reports say the crop around Kolar was hit hard by the tomato yellow leaf curl virus. This virus is transmitted largely by the white fly, which does better in hot, humid weather with irregular rainfall — just the conditions that prevailed this year and just what the tomato hates. In Maharashtra, too, the crop appears to have been hit by a virus, this one transmitted by aphids, which also do better in higher heat and humidity. So, a weakened tomato was hit by a stronger disease transmission network. Unsurprisingly, tomato arrivals in Kolar have fallen by 75% in July compared to last year, while Maharashtra and Gujarat have seen 50% lower arrivals than last year.
Read more at timesofindia.indiatimes.com