Tomato prices are on the rise across India as continuous rainfall and inadequate showers severely impact production and transportation of the kitchen staple, according to agriculture experts.
The incessant rains in some areas and lack of sufficient showers in others have led to a decrease in tomato supply, causing prices to surge even further.
Industry insiders predict that this trend will persist for the foreseeable future, with prices expected to stabilise in a minimum of two months, reported MoneyControl on Thursday.
In June, prices of tomato stood at Rs 40 per kilogram, but by the first week of July, they had soared to Rs 100 per kilogram. Further heavy rainfall pushed the prices to Rs 200 per kilogram, as the supply from various regions of the country was severely impacted.
The key tomato-producing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu, account for 91 per cent of the total production in India, as per the Ministry of Agriculture.
However, the current supply is only being received from southern and some northeastern regions, highlighting the extent of the disruptions caused by erratic weather patterns.
“The problem of price rise will go on for some time. No new plantation can be planted amid rains. Prices will continue to rise in weeks to come. It will be a minimum of 2 months before we see prices stabilise,” said Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Commodities Management Services Limited (NCML) while talking to MoneyControl.
Gupta noted that tomato plants are short-duration crops highly sensitive to heat and susceptible to viruses, contributing to the decline in production. The crop faced significant damage when an early heat wave struck many parts of India between February and March.
Furthermore, two different viruses affected yields in Maharashtra and Karnataka earlier this year. Low production in southern regions, particularly in Maharashtra, can be attributed to extreme heat in May and unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms in June. The lack of fair prices for their produce has also demoralised farmers, leading to a decrease in tomato cultivation.
The timeline for stabilising tomato prices depends on the crop cycle, which generally spans 60 to 90 days. With heavy rains impeding sowing activities, it is expected to take longer for prices to stabilise. Farmers typically avoid sowing tomatoes during May and June, and they will resume transplantation when rainfall subsides.
This means that transplantation is likely to occur towards the end of July or early August, followed by a minimum of 60 days for harvesting. Ideally, prices should start stabilising towards the end of August or early September.
The government aims to stabilise prices by mitigating temporary supply chain disruptions and crop damage caused by adverse weather conditions. The Department anticipates new crop arrivals in the near future, which is expected to bring down prices accordingly.