Tomatoes prices soar in Bengaluru compared to other metros. Here's why

Bengaluru is one of the metropolitan cities where tomatoes are the costliest as there is a short supply in the market after the scorching summer heat caused a major drop in yield.

Tomatoes in Bengaluru cost a staggering ₹95 per kilogram, according to government data, which is higher than that in nearly all other metro cities. It is not, though, as high as it was last month; tomato prices in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, crossed Rs. 100 per kilogram in mid-May.

Independent vegetable shops are now pricing tomatoes at around Rs. 90 a kilogram in the Karnataka capital. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) (Image for representation only) (AP)

Prices have been rising mainly due to short supply in the market after the scorching summer heat caused a major drop in yield.

Tomato prices at the Horticultural Producers Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society of Limited (HOPCOMS) in Bengaluru were between ₹62 and ₹64 per kilogram in the beginning of May, which rose to ₹75 by mid-May.

Meanwhile, malls, grocery stores, e-commerce websites and independent vegetable shops are selling tomatoes at or near ₹90 per kilo in Bengaluru.

A resident claimed prices had touched ₹120 at the city's KR Market but were half that price in the Kanakpura Main Road markets.

Prices were at ₹80 in Hyderabad, while Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi stood at ₹77, ₹74, ₹62 and ₹39, respectively.

Along with soaring fuel prices in the city, citizens are now also faced with skyrocketing tomato prices, which is a staple in every home.

Residents are therefore switching to alternatives for tomato like tamarind.

The price hike also hit hotel chains and commercial establishments, which considered price hikes for dishes that rely heavily on the crop.

(With agency inputs)