Due to adverse weather conditions disrupting vegetable production and supply in the city, the prices of tomatoes have skyrocketed to a record-breaking ₹250 per kg at Chandigarh’s apni mandis. The prices of other vegetables and fruits also remain unstable.
The prices experienced a significant surge when the city faced a shortage of tomatoes. Only 128 crates of tomatoes were supplied to the wholesale mandi in Sector 26 on Tuesday, resulting in an estimated wholesale price of ₹200 per kg.
Rashwinder Singh, the auction recorder at the Chandigarh wholesale mandi, stated, “Due to the tomato supply shortfall on Tuesday, one crate was being sold for ₹4,500. With each crate containing 24-25 kg of tomatoes, the wholesale price reached ₹200 per kg.”
Most of the suppliers at the city’s apni mandis had no tomatoes available for sale, while those with limited supply were charging retail prices of ₹250 per kg.
Harpreet Singh, a supervisor at the Punjab Mandi Board in Chandigarh, explained the sharp price increase, saying, “The local tomato production is adversely affected by rising temperatures and untimely rains. Normally, our local production lasts until the end of July, but heavy rains in the region stopped local production by the end of June. When local production stops, we rely on tomato imports from mountainous areas. However, due to monsoons and sudden highway blockades caused by landslides, the supply becomes erratic, resulting in a steep price hike.”
He added, “It will take a few more days for the prices to decrease as monsoons across the country have disrupted vegetable supply.”
Last year, the highest price observed for tomatoes at the apni mandi was around ₹60 per kg. In November 2021, the price climbed to ₹90 per kg, the highest in recent times but still below the three-digit mark. On July 5 this year, the tomato prices reached ₹140, also due to supply disruptions.
The prices of other vegetables grown in the hills have also risen. Capsicum rates have increased from ₹60 to ₹100 per kg, while brinjal is being sold at ₹70 per kg and bitter gourd at ₹60 per kg. Coriander, which is sensitive to rainfall, has reached ₹180 per kg, compared to ₹40 per kg in June. Onions and potatoes, however, remain stable at ₹30 per kg.
Fruit prices are relatively lower. Apples are being sold at ₹240 per kg, apricots at ₹150 per kg, pineapple at ₹120 per kg, pomegranate at ₹100 per kg, and pear and grapes at ₹180 per kg, respectively. Mangoes, on the other hand, have a price range of ₹40 to ₹100 per kg.
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