Tomato price shoots up to Rs 200 per kg in Delhi NCR. Puree adds flavours to Indian kitchens

Tomato prices are now higher than petrol in Delhi NCR due to which many Indian households have either stopped buying tomatoes or opting for alternatives. The retail price of tomatoes is at around ₹200 per kg now in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and other parts of the city. The wholesale price of tomatoes in Delhi is above Rs 100 per kg and even higher depending on the quality and market. It is expected that the price will be much higher than Rs 200 per kg in certain locations.

Tomatoes are widely used in Indian cooking and salads. Almost every home-cooked food items contain tomato flavors in India. The high price of tomatoes is due to a number of factors, including delayed monsoons, high temperatures, low production, heavy rainfall, and reduced supply from neighboring states.

Many people have now started using tomato puree as it is much cheaper compared to tomatoes being sold in the vegetable markets. Anaya Singh, a resident of Noida says, “Every time we go to our local markets to buy tomatoes, prices are always higher than the previous days. A few weeks ago, we bought the tomatoes at 100 per kg, then the price shot up to Rs 160 per kg and now it’s Rs 200 per kg. We don’t what to do now. Some of the families I know are now using tomato puree which is available at a much cheaper price. We hope the price comes down soon.”

Tomato puree contains about 40% tomato paste and the rest is water. It can’t replace the taste of the original tomato but people have no choice but to use puree to avoid increasing their monthly vegetable bills.

The government has taken some steps to try to control the price of tomatoes, such as importing tomatoes from other countries and subsidizing the sale of tomatoes through government-run shops. However, these measures have not been enough to bring down the price of tomatoes significantly.

If you are looking to buy tomatoes in Delhi, you may want to consider buying them from government-run shops, as they are likely to be sold at a lower price than in other shops. Some people are buying tomatoes in bulk while others are using ready-made tomato puree to save money.

Here are some of the reasons why tomato prices are high:

• Delayed monsoons: The monsoon rains are late this year, which has led to a delay in the harvesting of tomatoes. This has reduced the supply of tomatoes in the market, which has led to an increase in prices.

• High temperatures: The high temperatures in Delhi have also affected the growth of tomatoes. Tomatoes need warm weather to grow, but the high temperatures have made it difficult for them to thrive. This has also reduced the supply of tomatoes in the market.

• Low production: The production of tomatoes has also been low this year. This is due to a number of factors, including the delayed monsoons and the high temperatures.

• Heavy rainfall: Heavy rainfall in some parts of the country has also disrupted the supply of tomatoes. This is because the rains have damaged tomato crops and made it difficult to transport tomatoes to markets.

• Reduced supply from neighboring states: The supply of tomatoes from neighboring states has also been reduced. This is because the neighboring states are also facing high tomato prices.

Many restaurants and local vendors selling food items have now stopped using tomatoes to cut down their costs. However, the price may likely come down towards the end of August.