At Rs 25/kg, tomato prices fall by half from last week in Chennai

CHENNAI: In less than a week, prices of tomatoes have decreased by half in comparison to the previous week. Price for one-kilo of the red fruit in the wholesale market came crashing down to Rs 28, Rs 25 and Rs 20 as per the grading quality. On July 3, a kilo tomato was sold for Rs 50, Rs 40 and Rs 35 respectively.

Meanwhile, sellers at the Koyambedu wholesale market anticipate fluctuations in the price for another 10 days.

“When it rains, prices fall. Last week, the rate was higher and so was sales, as there was more supply to the market. The price will keep falling or rising by Rs 10 for another 10 days. As of now, the demand is less but it’s expected to increase in a month,” explained SS Muthukumar, president, Koyambedu Semi Wholesale Vegetable Traders Association.

Though tomato prices are cheaper in the wholesale market, it remains static in retail outlets. “Currently 1,000 tonnes of tomatoes have arrived in the market every day as opposed to the 1,300-tonne we receive daily,” he added.

A dip in price is always heartening to women. Mahalakshmi, a homemaker, tells DT Next: “Tomatoes are now affordable. A few days ago, when it was high, we couldn’t afford to buy more though it’s one of the main ingredients in most of the dishes we consume,” she pointed out.