With the increase in arrival of tomatoes to the Nethaji Daily Vegetable and Fruit Market, the wholesale price of the vegetable has dropped to ₹55 a kg on Saturday. On an average, about 3,500 to 4,000 boxes, each weighing 15 kg, arrive from Talavadi, Dharmapuri and Andhra Pradesh to the wholesale market. But, the arrivals had dropped to less than 1,000 boxes last month, after which prices had touched ₹140 a kg. Arrival of tomatoes had started to pick up in the last 10 days leading to a drop in prices.
A wholesaler said arrivals had improved to 2,100 boxes leading to drop in prices. “Fresh arrivals push the price down,” he said and added that an increase in arrivals will lead to price stabilising in the next two to three weeks. Farmers in Talavadi said the arrival of tomatoes from Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka to the mandis has started to increase in the last one week adding to drop in prices. “Farmers had planted saplings in June and harvesting would begin in September,” they added. A few farmers pointed out that either excessive rain or little rain in September would affect the crop which decides the price.
[ ₹100 = €1.10 ]
