Tomato At Rs 1,512 Per Quintal: Vegetable Prices Skyrocket Across India | Cehck Here
Vegetable Price Hike: Short-duration crops have been impacted by continuous spells of heatwaves and dry weather in several parts of the country. These crops are sown between winter and summer seasons. The impact of the extreme weather has led to steeper-than-expected price hikes in vegetable prices in the month of April. The prices are still rising in May also. Notably, the main kharif is expected to start in June with the onset of monsoon rains and wheat. The crucial winter staple has been affected by the extreme weather conditions as harvesting is nearly over.
The lack of early monsoon showers and scorching heat across the heartland and southwest zones have wreaked havoc on the yield of summer crops, fruits, and vegetables. Moreover, the intense heat conditions have inflicted damage to the quick-growing rice crops cultivated in the ‘zaid’ season, typically between March to June, as noted by the farming community and merchants.
Vegetable Price Hike
In the month of April, there was a notable price hike for various fruits and vegetables at both retail and wholesale points, primarily due to the heatwaves sweeping across the majority of the country. Within the stretch from the first of March to the eight of May, we noticed a steep 16% drop in rainfall compared to what we usually expect.
During March, food prices in retail outlets experienced a significant surge of 8.5%, while overall consumer prices took a drop, reaching a 10-month low at 4.85%. In the Consumer Price Index, vegetables account for a 7.5% share.
Information gathered from the Agmarknet portal showed a staggering increase in the average wholesale price of tomatoes in India, moving up by 62% and settling at ₹1512 per quintal in April from the year before. As of April 30th, compared to the previous year, the retail prices of tomatoes saw a rise similar to that of the wholesale price, with an increase of 61%.
In April, wholesale potato prices witnessed the steepest increase of 92% at Rs 1604 a quintal from earlier year. On April 30, retail potato prices increased to 49.3% on-year.
Onion rose 67.7% in April to settle at Rs 1362 a quintal at the wholesale level. On April 30, onion prices were up 53.2 percent from a year ago.
May 4th saw the government greenlighting the export of onions, thanks to ample stock, stabilized prices, and robust winter crop yield. This move stands to benefit both traders and farmers in Maharashtra, India’s leading onion-producing state, particularly with elections right around the corner.
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