Tomato Price On The Rise, Hits Rs 250 Per Kg In THIS State; Overall Thali Cost Rises

Tomato prices in various parts of the country continue to be on the rise, with the rates touching as high as Rs 250 per kg. Tomatoes are selling in the range of Rs 200-Rs 250 per kg in the retail market in Uttarakhand.

In Gangotri Dham, the price of per-kg tomatoes is Rs 250, while it is selling between Rs 180 and Rs 200 in Uttarkashi.

“Tomatoes have become dearer in the region all of a sudden. Consumers are bearing the brunt of the rising prices of tomatoes in Uttarkashi. People are not even willing to buy them. In Gangotri, Yamunotri, tomatoes are going at Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kg,” a vegetable seller told ANI.

According to traders, tomato prices are on the rise as their production got hit due to heavy rains in some growing areas and heat waves last month.

Among metros, retail tomato prices remained highest at Rs 152 per kg in Kolkata, followed by Rs 120 per kg in Delhi, Rs 117 per kg in Chennai and Rs 108 per kg in Mumbai.

According to the latest report by Crisil, the average cost of a vegetable and a non-vegetable thali, which were on a decline since October 2022, increased in May and June on a sequential basis following soaring tomato and other vegetable prices.

“The cost of veg and non-veg thali alike, on the decline since October 2022, nosed up on a sequential basis in May and further in June 2023. Elevated prices of tomato month-on-month in June led to this increase,” Crisil’s monthly indicator of food plate cost revealed.

Market Intelligence and Analytics calculated the average cost of a thali based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India.

Further, the report said that tur and gram prices increased 3 per cent sequentially in June, contributing to the increase in thali prices.

However, the cost of both veg and non-veg thalis declined 5 per cent in June 2023, compared to the same month last year due to a steep decline in prices of vegetables and cooking oil, which account for 25 per cent of the total cost of a veg thali.

The report noted that increase in prices of cereals, pulses and chicken further capped the decline in thali prices year-on-year.