Tomato, onion prices rise in Delhi on high fuel rates, crop damages in Karnataka, Maha

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The prices of vegetables like tomato and onion have increased in the city’s wholesale and retail markets, owing to crop damages in Karnataka and Maharashtra due to heavy rainfall and high fuel rates, vegetable traders said on Tuesday.

They said the price rise in the wholesale rates of vegetables was between Rs 10 and Rs 15 per kg; while in retail market, it was around Rs 15-20 per kg.

Vegetable traders indicated that these consumables may get dearer in coming weeks if similar situation continues.

Ramesh Sahu, a vegetable trader in Laxmi Nagar, said there has been a rise in the rates of tomato and onion.

“Now, tomato prices are ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 55 per kg, while it earlier used to be at around Rs 40 per kg. Similarly, onion prices have also been hiked and now, it is around Rs 50 per kg which used to be sold earlier at around Rs 35-40 per kg,” Sahu said.

He said that it was because of an increase in wholesale prices.

A vegetable seller in Greater Kailash-1, Monu Paswan, said good-quality tomatos were being sold at Rs 55-60 per kg while the rates of onion were around Rs 50-55 per kg.

“The rates have increased in past one week because of less supply. We are purchasing vegetables at higher rates in wholesale markets so the ripple effect is seen in retail markets as well,” Paswan said.

S P Gupta, chairman of Ghazipur Wholesale Vegetable and Fruit Market, said wholesale prices of staple vegetables such as onion and tomato have increased by about Rs 10-15 per kg due to the lack of supply of these vegetables.

He said that most of the onion and tomato come to the national capital from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

“Due to heavy rains in Karnataka and Maharashtra, crops of onion and tomato got damaged there. It resulted in reduction in supply, hence the rates have increased.

“Now, wholesale price of onion is at around Rs 40 per kg, while the rate of tomato is Rs 900 per crate weighing 25 kg,” Gupta told PTI.

He added that normally, wholesale prices of onion used to be around Rs 20-25 per kg at the Ghazipur mandi. Similarly, the wholesale rates of tomato used to be in the range of Rs 16-Rs 20 per kg which are now Rs 35-36 per kg, he said.

Gupta further said that currently, onion is primarily being supplied in Delhi from Indore.

A wholesale trader in Okhla Mandi, Haji Yamin said the rates of tomato and onion have increased by about Rs 20 per kg.

He said that earlier, the wholesale prices of onion in Okhla Mandi were at around Rs 20 per kg, which have now been doubled.

Another trader at Okhla Mandi, Mohammad Ibrar, said that similar was the situation with tomato as it is now being sold at a wholesale price of Rs 30-40 per kg, while earlier its price was Rs 15-20 per kg.

Traders also said that apart from rains in southern Indian states, the rise in fuel prices was also making vegetables dearer due to enhanced transportation cost.

Yamin said that due to rains in southern Indian states, crops got damaged; so, rates of those items have increased here. But, this is not the sole reason behind this state of affair.

“Due to increasing rates of fuel prices, especially diesel, the cost of transportation of vegetables have gone up. So, coupled with the shortage in supply, the enhanced transportation cost is now showing its impact by making vegetables dearer in wholesale as well as retail markets,” he said.