While the UT administration is taking measures to control the eye-watering prices of onion, tomatoes were being sold at ₹70 per kg at apni mandi on Saturday, highest this year.
The tomato prices have seen a steep hike in the past last month. They were priced at just ₹20 per kg on September 1.
Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board officials said the prices seemed to be stabilising before they suddenly catapulted: “Rainfall at the end of September damaged the supply of tomatoes, the repercussions of which are becoming apparent now. Tomatoes are a delicate crop, and the recent dip in temperature and rain at night have damaged the crop.”
Parlad Singh, president of the apni mandis, predicted that the prices may further rise over the next two weeks. “Rain has damaged our crops and it will take around two weeks for the new crop to arrive,” he said.
Though onions are being sold at ₹32 per kg at community centres, their price remains high in apni mandis, where the staple is being sold at ₹50 per kg. Singh said, “Since the supply from Maharashtra and Rajasthan remains affected, the prices are likely to stay high in the coming days.”
The dip in temperature has also adversely affected summer crops, such as bitter gourd, ridge gourd and bottle gourd, say Punjab mandi officials.
{{/usCountry}}The dip in temperature has also adversely affected summer crops, such as bitter gourd, ridge gourd and bottle gourd, say Punjab mandi officials.
{{/usCountry}}“Farmers are not getting a good price for their crop in the city, and many farmers are now sending their produce to other parts of Punjab, as far as Amritsar, for sale. So brace for the prices to rise in the coming days,” officials said.