CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 – Tomato prices at apni mandis have doubled in just a week, crossing the ₹100 per kg mark due to erratic supply from the hills. Retail vendors are now selling tomatoes at ₹120 per kg, putting pressure on household budgets.
According to Komal Sharma, incharge of Apni Mandi, Punjab Mandi Board, the local tomato season ends by mid-July. “Our own production drops due to rising temperatures and unseasonal rains. We depend on tomatoes from Himachal after that, but incessant rains and landslides have disrupted the supply chain,” she said.
Prices, which were around ₹50/kg on July 26, touched ₹100 by August 2. Sharma added that the situation is being monitored daily and prices could ease to ₹50–₹60/kg if the weather improves. However, continued rains may cause erratic supplies from other states as well.
Last year, tomato prices had also reached ₹120/kg, but the highest-ever rate was in 2023, when prices skyrocketed to ₹250/kg during flashfloods in Himachal Pradesh.
While potato and onion prices have stayed stable, other hill-grown vegetables like capsicum and brinjal have also seen a price rise.
