At ₹90 a kilo, tomato price hits all-time high in Chandigarh apni mandis

The key kitchen ingredient priced around ₹60 per kg in October end has already seen 50% price hike since and is available at ₹90 per kg at the apni mandis of Chandigarh

Even as the rates of most vegetables in the city have gone down since the slash in the fuel prices, there is no let up in the soaring tomato prices. The key kitchen ingredient priced around ₹60 per kg in October end has already seen 50% price hike since and is available at ₹90 per kg at the apni mandis of the city. This is the highest tomato price in recent years, mandi officials said.

This is the highest tomato price in recent years in Chandigarh, mandi officials said. (ANI)

Mandi supervisor with the Punjab Mandi Board Satbir Singh said, “While the price of tomato had gone up to ₹70-80 per kg in previous years, it never touched ₹90 per kg in the mandis. The apni mandi rate is still on the lower side as vendors are selling at as high as ₹120 per kg.” At the Sector 26 wholesale mandi, the tomato price is between ₹70-80 per kg.

On the high price, Singh said, “There is a shortage of supply. We are getting tomatoes only from Himachal Pradesh where the production got hit due to erratic weather at the end of the monsoons. We are not getting tomatoes from Punjab yet and it will take around two to three weeks. After that a significant drop in prices can be expected.”

The price of other vegetables, meanwhile, has stabilised. Staple vegetables like onion that was being sold for ₹40 per kg two weeks ago is now available for ₹35 per kg. The price of potato too has come down from ₹25 per kg to ₹20.

Price of some other vegetables has fallen significantly which officials attributed to cut in fuel prices. Capsicum which was selling for ₹120 per kg at the start of the month is now available for ₹60 per kg. Cauliflower’s price too has come down from ₹70 per kg to ₹40. The prices are expected to stay on the lower side in the coming days, officials said.

Box

Tomato price surge

October 12: ₹50 per kg

October 26: ₹60 per kg

November 9: ₹70 per kg

November 20: ₹80 per kg

November 23: ₹90 per kg