Et Tu Tomato? Move Over Onions, It’s Tomatoes That Are Making Indians Cry!
Tomato prices have soared to above Rs 100 per kg in some cities. You're lucky if you are still buying them in double digits.
One way to gauge what's hot and what's not is to check what people are making the most memes on. At present, it's tomatoes. Scroll through your Twitter feed and you'll find pictures of a tomato on a proposal ring (complete in a Tiffany blue box, no less) and "tips" for diverting crypto investments to tomatoes.
Tomato prices have surged, hitting triple digits in some parts of the country.
Nationwide aggregate data from the Department of Consumer Affairs shows that tomatoes were retailing at Rs 67 per kg on an aggregate across India on Nov. 24, 2021. That's more than double the price they were selling for at the start of October. At this time last year, prices were at Rs 40.25.
Wholesale prices of tomatoes rose to Rs 5,454 per quintal on Nov. 24—a rise of 123.5% from Oct. 1.
In comparison, prices of potatoes and onions rose by close to a third since the start of October. While onions retailed at Rs 38.8 per kg, potatoes retailed at Rs 26.8 per kg.
Based on inflation data, which aggregates prices across qualities and regions, tomato prices saw a surge of 54% month-on-month in October. Data for November is yet to be released.
So sharp and sudden has been the price rise that grocery platforms like BigBasket are luring customers with a 20% "discount offer" on tomatoes.
If the garden-variety tomato is not good enough for you and hybrid tomatoes are more your thing, then be prepared to shell out close to Rs 90-100 per kg in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. In Delhi, hybrid tomatoes are selling for Rs 80 per kg, with prices in Mumbai at the lowest among metropolitan cities at Rs 70 per kg. Retail prices on such platforms are usually determined on the basis of "mandi" (market) prices in those cities.
You want a hack around high tomato prices?
Grofers is also selling two sachets of tomato ketchup of 950 grams each for Rs 146. (No, that's not an ad!)
Tomatoes Hit A Century At Some Places
Prices are varying across regions.
In the north and the north east zones, as per the classification by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir and Port Blair both reported prices of tomatoes in triple digits. Prices are at the highest in Port Blair at Rs 135 per kilogram. They are at Rs 100 per kg in Poonch.
Prices in South India are nearly as high.
Tomatoes in Bengaluru cost the most at Rs 120 per kilogram. Chennai, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu; and Ernakulam, Kottayam and Palakkad in Kerala; all saw tomatoes retail at near Rs 100 in recent days.
No centre in the West and East zones have seen prices exceed the Rs 100-mark yet.
So, What's Happened?
If you're wondering who to blame for your rising tomato bill, look to the skies.
This year has seen an erratic Southwest monsoon, which is the primary reason behind the uptick of prices of perishables. This Northeast monsoon has also created havoc, impacting these crops, said Hetal Gandhi, director at Crisil Research.
Cumulative rains from Oct. 1- Nov. 14 have been 47% higher than normal. These excess rains have severely impacted crops like tomato, okra, capsicum to name a few, thereby resulting in an increase in prices, she added.
States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are the key suppliers of tomato during October-December. However, excess rains in these regions have damaged the standing crops, reducing supplies. According to Gandhi, on-ground interactions suggest that the situation is grim, particularly in Karnataka where tomato supplies are being sourced all the way from Nasik.
It's expected that the prices will continue to remain elevated for the next 45-50 days till arrivals from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan begin from January onwards, Gandhi warned.
Glum hearing that the humble tomato could throw or budget off track or that your favorite tomato curry may taste a little bland as you scrimp on tomatoes?
Cheer yourself up with the tomato memes we found on social media.