Unseasonal rains damage crops, veggies get expensive

Unseasonal rains have caused prices of vegetables to go up, and traders expect them to remain firm in November as well because both standing crops and stocks have been damaged.

Tomatoes have become costlier by more than 50% in retail markets since the beginning of this month. Traders expect onion prices to go up to 40-50% as heavy rains have damaged stocks in Maharashtra. Unseasonal rains in Uttar Pradesh have damaged the potatoes that are harvested early and delayed the sowing of the late variety. Prices of the tuber may increase by ₹7-8 a kg before the new crop arrives in the market, traders said.

"Unseasonal rains in September in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have damaged the tomato crop," said Ashok Kaushik, president of the Tomato Merchant Association at Delhi's Azadpur mandi. The mandi, Asia's largest wholesale market for fruits and vegetables, is now getting around 20 trucks of tomatoes a day, compared with 25 earlier, he said.