Bengaluru: Tomato rates soar to ₹80/kg, households bear brunt
What's the story
Bengaluru's residents are facing a major dent in their household budgets as tomato prices have skyrocketed. According to News18, the average price of tomatoes has shot up to ₹80 per kilogram, more than doubling from around ₹30 per kilogram just a month ago. The sudden spike in prices has prompted many households to reassess their daily cooking habits.
Price factors
Supply shortages and weather disruptions drive price surge
The report says that the steep rise in tomato prices is mainly due to supply shortages. Bengaluru relies heavily on tomatoes from nearby districts, such as Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara. Supplies are also sourced from the Nashik region in Maharashtra. However, unseasonal rainfall has disrupted harvesting and transport in these regions. Farmers have also reported crop losses due to diseases caused by excess moisture.
Nationwide trend
Tomato prices soar across India
The price surge isn't limited to Bengaluru alone. The report states that across India, tomatoes are being sold at ₹96 per kg in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, ₹92 in Mizoram, ₹80 in Delhi, ₹78 in Manipur and ₹71 in Sikkim, indicating a nationwide trend of rising tomato prices. Traders fear that if supplies don't improve soon, Bengaluru's tomato prices could cross the ₹100 per kg mark.
Vegetable prices
Other vegetables see price hike in Bengaluru
Apart from tomatoes, the prices of several other vegetables have also reportedly gone up in Bengaluru. Broccoli is now priced at ₹170 per kg, green beans at ₹50, penny beans at ₹48 and capsicum at ₹80. Coconuts cost ₹70 per kg while mangoes are selling for ₹56. Gooseberries cost ₹70, bananas are priced at ₹32, and lemons are being sold for ₹58. Cauliflower costs ₹60, spinach is priced at ₹20, methi (fenugreek) costs ₹22, and pumpkin is priced at ₹54.