Indore grapples with rising prices; tomatoes cross Rs 120/kg

NEW DELHI: Tomato prices have skyrocketed in Indore, with retail prices surpassing Rs 120 per kilogram, according to vegetable traders from the city's Choithram market.

Mohammad Salim Chaudhary, a trader at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Choithram Mandi, vegetable and grain market, told ANI that tomatoes are being sourced from Maharashtra, but due to low supply, wholesale prices range between Rs 60 and Rs 80 per kilogram.

In the retail market, these same tomatoes are being sold for Rs 100 to Rs 120 per kilogram. "High-quality tomatoes are arriving from Maharashtra. Due to heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh, the tomato crops have been damaged, leading to a decrease in production and a sharp rise in prices.

In Chauthram Mandi, tomatoes were initially available for Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kilogram, but gradually increased to Rs 60 per kilogram, and now wholesale prices have reached Rs 80 per kilogram. In the retail market, tomatoes are now being sold for as much as Rs 120 per kilogram," Chaudhary added.

"The supply of goods is also low, which is causing tomato prices to rise. If the crops in Madhya Pradesh do not improve, the upward trend in tomato prices is likely to continue. There has also been a surge in onion prices. Onions are arriving from Nashik, Maharashtra, and high-quality onions are being sold for Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kilogram," he stated.

Similarly, onions, which were earlier sold for Rs 15 per kilogram, have now reached Rs 40 in the wholesale market and are being sold for Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kilogram in the retail market. Consumers who used to purchase 2 kilograms of tomatoes for their households are now managing with just half a kilogram, say retailers. Retailers have noted that the rise in tomato prices is also affecting sales in the ongoing festive season.