There has been no relief for common man as retail prices for tomatoes, potatoes, and onions continued to skyrocket in Delhi and other cities, with supply disruptions due to extreme heat and heavy rainfall driving up costs for consumers.
Tomato prices in Delhi on Saturday stood at Rs 77/kg, down from Rs 168/kg a year ago. In Maharashtra, prices were Rs 72.47/kg, while the retail price stood in West Bengal at Rs 71.35/kg on July 13, according to data from the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Price Monitoring Division.
The all-India average retail price for tomatoes was Rs 69.31/kg on July 13, significantly lower than Rs 114.72/kg last year. Modal tomato prices was Rs 80/kg, and maximum and minimum prices are from Rs 24/kg to Rs 130/kg.
In the NCR, which comprises districts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the retail prices of tomatoes in these states are Rs 74.64/kg and Rs 54.67/kg.
Here’s a table of retail prices in states/UTs as of July 13
| States/UTs | Potato (Rs/kg) | Onion (Rs/kg) | Tomato (Rs/kg) |
| Delhi | 40 | 55 | 77 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 33.9 | 44.79 | 74.64 |
| Haryana | 33.33 | 41.67 | 54.67 |
| West Bengal | 31.59 | 43 | 71.35 |
| Maharashtra | 42.58 | 41.63 | 72.47 |
An official from the consumer affairs ministry, speaking anonymously to PTI, expects tomato prices to decrease in the coming weeks as supplies improve from southern states. They also anticipate stabilization in prices of potatoes and onions, which have similarly risen due to supply disruptions.
Current tomato supplies to Delhi are from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with expectations that hybrid tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will further alleviate prices.
Although subsidized tomato sales were implemented last year when prices exceeded Rs 110/kg, the government has no plans to reintroduce this measure. The official expressed confidence that prices would normalize within 1-2 weeks with improved supplies from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Heavy rainfall has disrupted tomato, potato, onion, and green vegetable supplies in major consuming areas, contributing to price hikes across urban centres. In Delhi, retail potato prices is Rs 40/kg on July 13, up from Rs 26/kg last year, while onion prices rose to Rs 55/kg from Rs 33/kg.
The average price of potatoes nationwide is currently Rs 36.25/kg, and onions are priced at Rs 44.43/kg.
Retail inflation rises to 5.08%
Retail inflation rose to a four-month high of 5.08% in June, driven by increased prices of food items, particularly vegetables, according to government data released on Friday.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures retail inflation, had been declining since January before experiencing an uptick in June.
Inflation in the food basket rose to 9.36% in June, up from 8.69% in May, according to data from the National Statistical Office (NSO).
In June, the highest inflation rates were recorded in vegetables at 29.32%, followed by ‘pulses and products’ at 16.07% on an annual basis.
