Tomato prices likely to fall after supply increases from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh

The Central government on July 21 said that the retail prices of tomatoes are expected to fall after higher supply of new crops from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

For the past few weeks, tomatoes were being sold at Rs 200-250 per kilogram as per the retail rate in several parts of the country. Monsoon rains and flood pushed the prices of tomatoes to at an all time high.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, “Prices of tomato are expected to come down with the increase in the arrival of new crop from Nashik, Naryangaon and Aurangabad belt in Maharashtra and also from Madhya Pradesh”.
He said the “current increase in tomato prices may incentivize farmers to grow more tomato crop which is expected to stabilize the prices in coming months”.

Choubey attributed the recent increase in prices to factors like “crop seasonality, instantaneous arrival of monsoon rains in the northern parts of the country which adversely affected tomato crops in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and disruptions in supply due to heavy rain and flooding".

In response to a question by independent member Kartikeya Sharma, the Minister informed that the average daily retail price of tomato had crossed Rs 150 per kg in Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the week July 10-16.

Also read : Biggest ever seizure: Foreign currency worth Rs 10 crore seized at Delhi airport