Monsoon rains drown crops, raise vegetable prices

Pune: The incessant early monsoon rainfall in most southern states has damaged vegetable crops, jacking up the prices of tomatoes 30-40% in the wholesale markets in the last fortnight and they are likely to increase further after 2-3 weeks, said experts.

The heavy rainfall has also damaged the vegetable crops standing in the fields. The prices of the damaged vegetables have crashed, while the slightly better qualities fetch higher rates, said market functionaries.

"The impact of the damages inflicted on the plants by the heavy rainfall will be seen in the output and prices after 3 to 4 weeks," said Ajay Belhekar, a tomato farmer from Junnar, Pune.


Data from Agmarknet shows that prices of tomatoes have increased by 10% to 25% in states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra in the past one week. At the wholesale markets in Nashik and Pune, tomato prices have almost doubled in the last month. Prices of leafy greens like methi, spinach and coriander have also increased by 12% to 16%.

The pre-monsoon showers are expected to adversely affect all vegetable crops in their different stages of growth.

"The vegetables, which are currently in vegetative growth phase can be affected due to excess rainfall as it affects the nutrient uptake and root growth," said HC Prasanna, principal scientist at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR).