El Nino lifts tomato prices to ₹50/kg in 5 cities
Tomato prices have shot up in major cities across India, with retail rates touching ₹50 per kg in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad (except Delhi, where it's still at ₹34).
The main reason? El Nino messed with the weather last month (think higher temperatures and less water), hurting crops in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
To get better returns, farmers from Nashik are now sending their tomatoes to Kolar.
Kolar APMC prices jump, arrivals fall
At Kolar APMC, tomato prices jumped from ₹800 to ₹1,500 per quintal in just a few weeks.
Arrivals have dropped too, from 1,700 tons a month ago to under 1,200 now.
Prices at other markets are all over the place: Palamaner APMC in Andhra Pradesh saw a huge jump to ₹3,300 per quintal, while Nashik's rates actually fell.
With supply this shaky and weather still tricky, more price swings could be on the way.