According to experts, tomato prices are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future, and the current rate of INR 150 per kilogram may even appear to be a good deal in the coming days. The ongoing heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh is persistently affecting the tomato harvests and causing disruptions in logistics, further exacerbating the situation.
Currently, Bengaluru serves as the primary supplier of tomatoes for various regions across the country, sustaining the Himachal crop.
Due to the extensive rainfall in the northern Indian hills, the disruption caused by this weather phenomenon could result in increased prices for various vegetables, including cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, and leafy greens.
“The heavy rainfall in north India, especially in Himachal Pradesh, will damage most of the standing crop of tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum etc.,” said SK Singh, Director of the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bengaluru. “Viruses and wilt will rot the crop due to waterlogging, which will result in prices moving substantially upwards.”
During this season, Himachal Pradesh serves as a significant provider of cabbage, cauliflower, and capsicum not only to Delhi but also to several other states across the country.
“Higher prices of vegetables leads to consumers shifting to pulses,” said Singh.
This could further lift their already high prices.
Last week, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir experienced significant rainfall.
On July 8, Delhi witnessed the highest amount of rainfall in a single day in July in the past four decades.
The transport of fruits and vegetables from the hills to the plains will be disrupted as landslides have resulted in the closure of several important roads.
“We are afraid that the wholesale tomato prices may increase up to INR 140-150 per kg in a week as the local supplies from states in north India will dwindle due to heavy rainfall,” said Amit Malik, a tomato trader at Delhi’s Azadpur wholesale market.
Wholesale and retail prices of tomatoes in various regions of the country are currently ranging from INR 40 to 110 per kilogram and INR 100 to 160 per kilogram, respectively. These price levels have been influenced by a decrease in planting by growers, who faced losses in the previous year.
This year, the crop yield in Bengaluru has also experienced a decline.
“There is a fall in tomato production in Bengaluru as the crop succumbed to the incidence of viral diseases that spread due to earlier unseasonal rainfall,” said Singh.
Consumers can anticipate a softening of prices only after August when tomatoes from other pockets such as Solapur, Pune, Nashik, and Solan start to arrive.
