Tomato prices skyrocket in southern states as heavy rains damage crops

The wholesale price of tomatoes has touched ₹120/ kg in Chala, the biggest wholesale market in Thiruvananthapuram. The main suppliers of vegetables are Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The traders said that due to heavy rain the crops have been damaged.

“Retail price ranges between ₹140-160 while the wholesale price is ₹120/ kg. The rates have been affected in the wake of heavy rains which has damaged crops,” a customer said.

In Bengaluru, the prices of tomatoes have seen a surge to ₹70 per kg.

Indresh, a local said, “Recurring rains have affected tomato rates, which have now increased to ₹70/ kg. The prices of other vegetables such as cauliflower, pointed gourd, coriander, ladyfinger and onion too have witnessed a hike.”

In Tamil Nadu, the price of tomatoes in Chennai has soared over ₹80-90/kg.

Raja, a local, said, “The prices of not only tomatoes but also of other vegetables have increased to over ₹80-90/ kg due to rains.”

Rainfall has triggered a rise in the price of vegetables in various parts of the nation. Farmers are facing a loss and traders say that a big quantity gets damaged during the transportation of tomatoes. 

Meanwhile, Andaman and Nicobar Islands MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma has demanded that the union territory administration pay compensation to farmers who have suffered losses due to damage of paddy and vegetable crops in North and Middle Andaman district because of heavy rain.

Sharma has requested the Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral D K Joshi (Retd) to direct the concerned departments to assess the damage to crops due to heavy rain in the entire North and Middle Andaman region and pay necessary compensation to the farmers.

In a letter to the LG, the Congress MP on Monday mentioned that very recently due to low pressure formation in the South Andaman region and also because of other natural causes the North and Middle Andaman region witnessed heavy rain, which has caused large scale damage to the standing paddy crops. In many villages vegetable cultivators have also suffered losses due to heavy rainfall, he added.

The Member of Parliament also mentioned that in Andaman and Nicobar Islands most of the farmers are completely dependent on paddy cultivation for their need of rice for the entire year while some portion of the rice is also sold in local markets.

He informed the LG that because of the heavy rain many cultivators of paddy and vegetables, who have invested heavily in seeds, fertilizers and insecticides have lost source of income for the coming months due to damage to their standing crops.

(With inputs from agencies)