Tomato prices aren’t likely to ease up any time soon. In fact, the current ₹150 a kg rate may seem like a bargain in some days, experts said, as heavy rain continues to lash Himachal Pradesh, preventing harvests and disrupting logistics.

The surge in tomato prices can be attributed to a combination of factors, including delayed monsoon, inadequate production and extreme heat.

ou must have heard of gold being stolen, or cash, or assets. However, in Karnataka, a woman farmer alleged that tomatoes worth Rs 2.5 lakh, accounting for 50-60 bags, were stolen from her agricultural farm on the night of July 5, according to a report in The Indian Express.

This is due to a sudden increase in retail tomato prices. In Delhi and Chennai, tomatoes were priced at Rs110/kg and 117/kg, respectively. The highest was recorded at Siliguri in West Bengal—with 1 kg of tomato costing Rs 155. The average all-India retail price of tomatoes is at Rs 83.29/kg, with a modal price of Rs 100/kg, as per data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry.

According to the Price Monitoring Cell, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, tomato prices almost doubled in several Indian cities in June, with cities like Ahmedabad and Delhi seeing a jump of 264 percent and 186 percent, respectively.

Why the sudden rise in price?

The surge in tomato prices can be attributed to a combination of factors, including delayed monsoon, inadequate production and extreme heat. The sudden rise in temperatures during March and April has also been identified as a significant cause, as it led to pest attacks on tomato crops, resulting in lower yields and higher market rates. Further, the supply of tomatoes has been disrupted in the past two weeks from the producing states, where the harvesting and transportation processes have been adversely affected. These circumstances have had a notable impact on the availability and affordability of tomatoes.