Tomato prices surge 50% in a day in Chandigarh

After onions, it’s the turn of tomatoes to pinch the pockets and disturb household budgets in Chandigarh.

Even as the administration has started selling a limited stock of onions at regulated prices in lesser affluent areas of the city, tomato prices rose by 50% in just a day.

Reason: Showers on Friday morning.

Available for ₹40 per kilogram on Thursday, tomatoes were priced at ₹60 per kilogram on Friday. Further price rise is inevitable, said apni mandi officials.

“Tomatoes tend to get easily damaged in rains. Within a couple of days, the price can rise over ₹70 per kilogram,” said Parlad Singh, president of the Chandigarh apni mandis.

Vikas, a veggie seller from Mauli Jagran who had set up his stall at the Sector 46 apni mandi on Friday, said the quality of tomatoes had dropped as well after the morning showers. Suresh Shah, another vendor from Burail, said the shortage can be expected on Saturday as well, which will further impact the prices.

Marginal drop in onion rates

Meanwhile, even as onion is being sold for ₹32 per kilogram in seven areas in the city, its price continued to remain on the higher side at apni mandis on Friday, witnessing a fall of just ₹5 per kilogram.

The administration sold 16 quintals of onion at five community centres in Maloya, Manimajra’s Modern Housing Complex, Mauli Jagran, Ram Darbar and Dhanas besides two vans deputed at Burail and Dadumajra. It was double the amount sold on Thursday, the first day of the initiative.

Under the initiative, only two kilograms are being sold against one Aadhaar card. An official in Maloya said the demand has been rising. Deepa Negi, a local, said she came to buy onions at the community centre after the stock bought by her neighbour on Thursday turned out to be good. Indu Devi, another resident of Maloya, urged the administration to increase the 2kg ceiling.

Meanwhile, available for ₹55 per kilogram on Thursday, onions were being sold for ₹50 at the apni mandi in Sector 46 on Friday.

Officials of the Punjab mandi board present there said it is unlikely that onion prices will drop below ₹40 at mandis.

“Onions are bought from truckers coming from Maharashtra and Central India. Farmers don’t have any margin, and will lose money if they sell them for below ₹50,” said an official.