Retail tomato prices skyrocket up to Rs 100 in retail market

Tomato prices are all-time high this season. The prices of tomatoes have hiked due to heavy rain in some states. The prices have gone up to Rs 98-100 in the retail market and Rs 93 in wholesales. In Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district the prices have hiked to Rs 120 per kilo.
Tomato is a basic vegetable that uses in vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and the raising cost has got people into trouble. Vegetable Traders also indicate that these tomatoes may get more expensive in the coming weeks. They also said that apart from rain the rising prices of fuel is also making the vegetables expensive due to transportation cost.
"Due to rains in southern Indian states, crops got damaged; so, rates of those items have increased here. But this is not the sole reason behind this state of affair," a farmer said.
"Due to increasing rates of fuel prices, especially diesel, the cost of transportation of vegetables have gone up. So, coupled with the shortage in supply, the enhanced transportation cost is now showing its impact by making vegetables dearer in wholesale as well as retail markets," he said.
India produces around 19.75 million tonnes from an area of 7.89 lakh hectares with an average yield of 25.05 tonnes per hectare, according to the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation. And it is World's largest tomato producer after China.