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National Affairs

National Affairs

Why did tomatoes prices increase recently?

19 Jul 2023 Zinkpot 312
  1. India is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the world, alongside onions. Tomatoes are absolutely essential to the daily lives of Indian consumers.
  2. But, Tomato prices in India have surged more than 300% in the last month disturbing the monthly budget of every Indian household.
  3. As per reports, from Rs.15 per kg in the first week of May, today, it has reached to staggering Rs.110-140, and in some places, even Rs.160 per kg. This major hike in the prices can be attributed to many reasons:
  4. Farmers from Maharashtra and Karnataka have blamed two specific viruses which attacked the tomato crop leading to reduced harvest. Farmers in Maharashtra said their tomato crop was attacked by the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), while tomato growers in Karnataka and other southern states blamed the tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) for crop losses.
  5. In Karnataka, the short supply of tomatoes is also being attributed to crop loss caused by the spread of ‘white fly’ disease. The price hike was reportedly due to crop losses due to pest attacks and spoiled crops in the months of March and April.
  6. Further, this year’s erratic climatic trends, including untimely rainfall and cyclonic storms, have disrupted tomato production in the South and coastal areas. In North India, incessant rain led to a sharp increase in tomato prices within just three days.
  7. These regions typically supply a significant portion of India’s Rabi tomatoes during this time of year. But the excessive rains have wreaked havoc. Tomato plants do not thrive in waterlogged conditions during the flowering and fruiting stages. Excessive water has disrupted pollination and caused significant yield losses.
  8. One of the main reasons behind the current high prices can be traced back to the sudden rise in temperature in March and April. That saw pest attacks on the production that led many growers to abandon their crops.
  9. According to the Maharashtra government, the current crisis stems from the extremely low prices that farmers have endured for six months, forcing them into financial losses. This resulted in a decline in tomato production and delays in the plantation.
  10. Moreover, farmers who had faced losses for the last two years in growing tomatoes chose not to grow them and switched to other vegetables instead.
  11. The southern states of India have been severely impacted. Heavy rainfall and flooding have resulted in a significant surge in tomato prices reaching as high as Rs. 140 per kg in Chennai.

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