KOLHAPUR: The price of tomatoes in the retail market of the Kolhapur city has increased by 100% — from Rs 50 per kg on May 15 to Rs 100 per kg on Sunday.
According to vegetable vendors, the pre-monsoon showers in Kolhapur and neighbouring districts have damaged vegetable crops. “Due to the same reason harvesting has also been postponed. The two-day break from rains helped the farmers bring the leftover produce to the markets. The Sunday vegetable market witnesses arrival of farmers from far off places for selling their produce. Today (Sunday), not many farmers were seen selling tomatoes or leafy vegetables. Whoever was selling tomatoes, they were either damaged or unripe. Still tomatoes were being sold for Rs 100 per kg,” one of the vegetable vendors said.
Mahesh Bhalekar, a vegetable vendor from Tarabai Park, said on May 15 tomatoes were sold for Rs 50 per kg. “Prior to that, the kitchen staple was being sold for Rs 30-40 per kg. On Sunday, I could get only one crate (around 15 kg) of tomatoes as the supply was short. Usually I get four to five crates from farmers in my contact. The farmers are demanding a high price to recover the additional input costs like transportation and workers for loading and unloading,” he said.
Last year, during the same time tomatoes were selling for Rs 60 per kg and by the last week of June the price rose Rs 100 per kg. The price came down to Rs 10 per kg after Diwali. Green and leafy vegetables are charting a similar track. A bunch of methi that was selling for Rs 15 last Sunday, was being sold for Rs 25 in the retail market on May 22. Spinach too has become expensive — from Rs 10 per bunch on May 15, to Rs 35 per bunch on Sunday.
Dyanewshwar Vakure, Kolhapur district agricultural superintendent, said, “Currently, the land under tomato cultivation is less as it is off-season. The harvest season for tomatoes starts from October. Therefore, the pre-monsoon showers coupled with less cultivation have affected the rising price trend.”
