A huge relief for people in the parts of Tamil Nadu came after the price of tomatoes which has been skyrocketing for the last two months has now slightly dropped. The wholesale prices of the crop dipped below Rs 100 per kg in many parts of the state on Sunday. The price of tomatoes in the past few weeks even breached the Rs 200 per kg mark and the consumers had to substitute the kitchen staple with other alternatives.
According to reports by Dindigul Municipal Council, Tamil Nadu, the public in the region has bought 2 to 3 kgs after the prices dipped. The prices of tomatoes have reportedly been reduced to around Rs 40 and Rs 60 in certain shops in the region.
The steep rise in the price of the crop was raised due to weather conditions in the parts of India, which damaged the crops. Speaking with TNIE, the traders shared that when the price began to rise last year, tomatoes were brought from the northern part of the country to stabilize the situation.
A trader at Koyambedu wholesale market told the publication that this year, the northern states were also affected by rains. So whatever Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka produced was being distributed across the country leading the price of the tomatoes to climb steadily.
The traders also explained the sudden dip in prices of the crop. They said that when the price began to rise two months ago lots of farmers opted for tomato cultivation which takes around 70 days to reach harvest-ready conditions. Due to this, the supply of tomatoes has increased in the market.
Last week, the Tamil Nadu government decided to expand the sale of tomatoes at a subsided rate through 500 public distribution shops (PDS) across the state. In a statement by the State Minister for Cooperation KR Periyakaruppan, the government took measures to ensure that the public is not affected by the surge in tomato prices. The tomatoes are being sold at Rs 60 per kg in the PDS since June 26 under the direction of State Chief Minister MK Stalin.
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