Date:25/06/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/25/stories/2006062521130100.htm

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Time to get a little stingy with tomato!

Staff Reporter

Price up from Rs. 12 to Rs. 22 a kg

Scanty rainfall leads to limited production
Demand for local variety leads to further increase in prices

Prices expected to go up further in the coming days

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HYDERABAD: Tomato lover? Well, you may have to postpone making tomato-based dishes for a few days because the price of this commodity has shot up in the last few days from Rs. 12 to Rs. 22 a kg.

And the price is only likely to escalate further. Limited production owing to scanty rainfall is said to be the main reason for the sudden rise in tomato prices, according to Bowenpally vegetable market secretary G. Ramkrishna Prasad.

There is huge gap in the demand and supply chain leading to skyrocketing of prices. At the market, the wholesale price rose from Rs 8.50 a kg on June 20 to Rs 10 a kg on Saturday and was even touching Rs 15 in the middle of the week.

Retail prices

Retail prices fluctuated between Rs 18 and Rs 22 a kg. Demand for local variety jacked up the price with rates fluctuating between Rs 20 and Rs 22 a kg, while hybrid varieties are being sold between Rs 16 and Rs 18 a kg. "This is off-season for the local tomato crop and there is no supply from Bangalore. We are expecting prices to go up to Rs 25," says K.Venugopal Goud, a retail vendor at Monda Market.