Tomato Prices in Bengaluru set to cross Rs 100 per kg; inadequate rains, high temperatures to blame

Bengaluru: The prices of vegetables including tomatoes have skyrocketed due to the monsoon deficit this year, traders said on Tuesday.

Due to short supply, the prices of tomatoes have reportedly shot up to ₹80 per kg over the last week. The prices are likely to worsen with a kg of tomatoes costing Rs 100 per kg.

There has been a decrease in tomato cultivation compared to previous years. Farmers in the Kolar region, a major tomato-producing area, shifted their focus to beans after witnessing a significant rise in bean prices last year.

According to vegetable traders in the KR Market here, the primary reason behind the price rise is the inadequate rains in the state this time. The deficient monsoon has resulted in crops drying up and withering, causing tomato yields in the district to plummet to just 30% of their usual output.

"We did not receive proper rains. Also, temperature is high. Due to these two reasons many vegetable crops were damaged. The variation in temperature and lack of proper rain led to pest attack on tomatoes," Manjunath, a trader in KR Market told PTI.

He also said the prices of ginger too have gone up due to insufficient rain.

Sridhar, another trader, said the prices have gone up but they are still within the reach of people. "Vegetables coming from north India have contained the price rise," he explained.

Sridhar said carrot is coming from Indore while beans, bitter gourd, bottle gourd and capsicum from Belagavi. Similarly, many vegetables are coming from neighbouring states as well.

Onion and potatoes are holding the fort against price rice for the time being.

Compounding the issue, Maharashtra, another significant tomato supplier, has also suffered crop losses. Consequently, traders from West Bengal, Odisha, and even Bangladesh have flocked to Karnataka's markets to secure tomato supplies.

While tomatoes have been the most severely affected, other vegetables have also witnessed price hikes.

The cost of some varieties of carrots is about to reach the ₹100 mark. A kilogramme of capsicum and knol khol cost more than ₹80. The cost of beans now ranges from Rs 120 to Rs 140 per kilogram, and certain varieties of carrots are inching closer to the Rs 100 mark.

This escalation in prices is not limited to vegetables alone, as eggs have also experienced a significant increase. Each egg now costs between Rs 7 and Rs 8, compared to the previous range of Rs 5 to Rs 6.

Also Read:Grave injustice to Muslim daughters: PM Modi on triple talaq