Tomato prices drop by 60% in a month

Tomato prices, which had touched ₹100 per kg in June, have dropped by 60% to ₹40 per kg but the prices of potatoes, the most common vegetable on Indian platters, remain firm with prices of good quality potatoes rising 2% in July as demand from South India has increased.

According to government figures, inflation for potato and tomato rose 23.86% and 158.78%, respectively, in June. The inflation on account of tomato is likely to cool off in July due to a significant drop in prices.

"The unusual heatwave that had impacted the tomato crop across the country isn't there anymore. There has been rains and production has gone up. Supply is robust from places like Shimla and Kolar, Bagepalli, Chintamani districts of Karnataka and Madanepalle of Andhra. This brought down prices in July," said Ashok Kaushik, president, Tomato Traders Association of Azadpur mandi, the largest in Asia.


Shriram Gadhave, president, Vegetable Growers Association of India, said: "The change in climatic condition had resulted in pest attacks in the tomato crop in May and June. Supply had gone down drastically."