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Amid the recent hike in tomato prices, a vegetable vendor in Varanasi has taken the trouble to hire guards to protect his prized perishable produce. “I have hired guards because the price of tomatoes is very high,” said greengrocer Ajay Fauji. PTI.
Foggy also said that people were “indulging in violence and even looting tomatoes,” adding that he hired the guards because he “didn’t want any arguments.”
Tomato prices soared across North India this week, with wholesale prices for traditional Indian cuisine soaring 288 percent in a month to 140 rupees per kilogram. And many have had to cut back on consumption, with retail prices skyrocketing.
Fauji said tomatoes were selling “for Rs. 160 per kg” and that customers were buying only 50 to 100 grams. Vegetables were selling at Rs 129 per kg in some Delhi markets and 150 rupees per kg in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. In Jharkhand too, Tomato prices have skyrocketed.
Retail tomato prices jumped to 155 rupees per kilogram in major cities of the country due to supply disruptions caused by rainfall in the producing area, according to official data. In the central regions, retail tomato prices prevailed in the range of Rs 58-148 per kg, with the highest price in Kolkata at Rs 148 per kg and the lowest in Mumbai at Rs 58 per kg. Wholesale tomato price in Chennai has also doubled from Rs 40/kg last week to Rs 80-90/kg now.
This comes as recent heavy rains in southern states have sent up prices of vegetables, especially tomatoes which were sold at an alarming retail price of 100-120 rupees per kilogram last week. The government attributes the high price of tomatoes to the poor production season, when seasonal rains disrupt transportation and distribution.
Earlier this week, fast food chain McDonald’s dropped tomatoes from its burgers and wraps in many parts of India due to supply shortages.
(with input from agencies)
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