Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Tomato prices shoot up

Karthik Madhavan

ERODE: Tomatoes, it appears, have some sort of a hot and cold relationship with prices.

They make news either for very poor price, forcing tomato farmers to dump them; or for selling at an exorbitant price, inviting exasperated comments from homemakers. This time, though, it is for the second reason that tomatoes are in news.

Vendors in Erode Netaji market say a kg of tomato costs about Rs.33 in the morning and a couple of rupees more in the evening.

The traders attribute the price hike to the poor inflow of tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh.

“In this season of the year we receive tomatoes more from Andhra Pradesh, which unfortunately is hit by floods. As crops are under water, commission agents in Erode get only two lorry loads as against five,” says Kumar, a vegetable vendor.

A lorry carries 600 boxes of at least 15 kg each.

He says the situation is unlikely to improve, if not worsen, for the next 20 days.

The traders’ prediction is that in the coming days the price may go up to Rs. 40 a kg. After 20 days he says supply of tomatoes from Dharapuram, Karur and other regions will begin, bringing down prices.

Until then, for a change, tomato prices will be in the soup!

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