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With the monsoon approaching, the locals are starting to feel the heat Tomato price hike.
Tomatoes which used to be sold at 25 to 30 rupees per kg are now sold from 80 to 100 rupees per kg in Chandigarh and Panchkula. On enquiry, the sellers and retailers blamed the wholesalers for not offering good quantity and the wholesalers held the monsoon responsible.
“We can sell onions for 30 rupees per kilo, but we are suffering from a scarcity of tomatoes, we are forced to sell them at least 80 rupees per kilo,” said Rakesh Yadav, a vegetable seller.
Brij Mohan, Chairman, Sabji Mandi Arthiya Association said, “This spike is not at all surprising to us. We see this spike every year around July and it continues till September, until the rains recede. Last week tomatoes were sold at Rs 200-400 each A box and this week for 1,200-1,300 rupees per box.”
According to Mohan, Himachal Pradesh will become the sole supplier of tomatoes in the upcoming monsoon season as normal regions like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan etc. will not be able to produce tomatoes well. “Ordinary fields have stagnant monsoon water which spoils the crop. Being a mountainous country, Himachal can provide tomatoes to the entire nation,” said Mohan.
Buying tomatoes at 80 to 100 rupees per kg disturbs the daily lives of housewives in Chandigarh and Panchkula. “We bought 1 kg of tomatoes at 80 rupees and now after a week we have bought them at 100 rupees. I try to reduce the use of tomato per dish or use alternatives like puree,” said Pinky, a resident of Panchkula. .
Upon inquiry with more households, some shared their experience of buying tomatoes at a reasonable price. I am a working husband and I buy vegetables around 6-7pm. I bought two kilogram tomatoes at Rs 50 from Mandi Tuesday here in Sector 5 Panchkula. My house will run out of tomatoes soon, I hope I can take advantage of the night and buy vegetables at a good price again,” says Sanjeev, a resident of Panchkula.
Increases in tomato prices have affected local restaurants as well. “Our price on dishes is fixed. But we cannot deny the loss we incur due to tomato prices. It is not surprising because we test it every year and the business must go on,” says Ram, a chef at a local restaurant.
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