Pune: The rising prices of vegetables have put consumers in a fix. The price of tomatoes has reached sky-high. The worse part of it is, according to traders and growers, the prices of vegetables are going to remain firm for the next two months. 
The prices of tomatoes per kilo have reached Rs 80/kg in south India. It is actually more than double the price.
Retail tomato prices in Kochi were Rs 80/kg to Rs 85/kg on Monday. The wholesale tomato prices in Kerala are ruling in the range Rs 40/kg to Rs 80/kg. The wholesale prices are between Rs 40/kg to Rs 60/kg in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha. However, tomato prices in Delhi are relatively lower due to increasing arrival from Himachal Pradesh, which has compensated for the declining arrivals from Haryana.
Sriram Gadhave, president, All India Vegetable Growers’ Association, said that the tomato farmers get hardly 10 percent of profit by the current prices.
The severe drought in Maharashtra has affected the overall production of vegetable crops in the region, said growers.
Just about two months ago, the prices of tomatoes per kilo was Rs 4/kg to Rs 6/kg. But due to high heat, the tomato growers couldn’t send it to far places and had to sell it on throw-away prices. Now the production cost has increased by 20% due to viral infection and production has declined from 10 to 12 tonnes/acre to 2 to 3 tonnes/acre.
Prices of tomatoes are comparatively less in north India currently. Cities like Hyderabad in the South, are now getting tomatoes from Delhi as supplies from Maharashtra have declined.
