Rain Impact on Vegetables Price: The rains could have brought down the heat across north India but have failed to dent the surge in prices of onion, tomatoes and potatoes. Tomato prices have surged nearly 60% while onions have seen a 30% uptick. The surge in potatoes is releatively lower but still a double-digit uptick at 19%.
Tomato too costly!
The average retail price of tomatoes nationwide hit a high of Rs 64.34/kg on Thursday. This marks a 68.69% increase from Rs. 38.14/kg recorded last month. However, this is a seasonal trend as even last July Tomato prices reached the triple-digit mark. A year ago, on July 11, tomato prices were around Rs 108.92/kg, according to Price Monitoring Division of the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry.
The modal rate of tomatoes on Thursday stood at Rs 80/kg. Maximum and minimum prices ranged between Rs 130 – 24/kg, respectively. In Delhi and neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, which constitute the NCR region, tomato prices are reported at Rs 72/kg, Rs 71.72/kg and Rs 45.75/kg respectively. Online platforms Blinkit and Bigbasket are selling tomatoes in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida at Rs 110/kg and Rs 94/kg respectively.
Vegetable vendors attribute the price surge to heavy rains affecting tomato supplies from states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh. Wholesale markets in Delhi, including Azadpur Mandi, Ghazipur Mandi and Okhla Sabzi Mandi, have also seen prices soar to Rs. 50 per kilogram due to reduced transportation and supply disruptions caused by the rains.
Tomato Prices today:
| Delhi | Rs 72/kg |
| Uttar Pradesh | Rs 71.72/kg |
| Haryana | Rs 45.75/kg |
Onion and potato prices surge
Meanwhile, the average retail price of onions on Thursday rose to Rs. 44.19/kg nationwide, up 27.49% from Rs. 34.66/kg last month. A year ago, onions were priced at Rs 33/kg, marking a 33.90% increase compared to the same date.
As for potatoes, the all-India average price stood at Rs 36.65/kg against Rs 30.73/kg on the same day last month, up 19%. The price of a kg of potato on June 11 last year stood at Rs 23.79/kg.
| Commodities | July 11, 2024 (National Average price/kg) | June 11, 2024 | July 11, 2023 |
| Potato | Rs 36.71 | Rs 30.73 | Rs 23.79 |
| Onion | Rs 44.19 | Rs 34.66 | Rs 26.8 |
| Tomato | Rs 64.35 | Rs 38.14 | Rs 108.92 |
The all-India wholesale prices of the potato, onion and tomato on Thursday stood at Rs 2912.14, 3589.63, 5152.59 per quintal. On the same day last month, it was Rs 2380.58, 2738.51, 2940.4 per quintal respectively, data from the Price Monitoring Division of the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry showed.