Saturday, 06 JULY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The soaring price of tomatoes has made residents of Dehradun to either cut down on its consumption or explore alternative options. This surge in prices has disrupted the monthly budget of many individuals, causing concern. Regarding this, the secretary of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Vijay Thapliyal highlighted that once tomato supplies from Bangalore resume, prices are expected to decrease significantly.
A vegetable seller in the Nehru Colony Mandi Raju Gupta said that a notable price increase of 20 to 25 percent in tomatoes. Previously priced at Rs 40 per kilogramme last week, tomatoes are now being sold at Rs 80 per kilogramme. The spike in prices has decreased the demand for tomatoes, with people opting to purchase them in smaller quantities, he added.
Commenting on this, a consumer Vibha Pandey said that she has been compelled to reduce the quantity of tomatoes used in her meals. Whereas previously she would include one to two tomatoes, she now only uses half a tomato per meal when the prices surge, she said.
Many individuals have resorted to seeking alternative options as a result of the soaring tomato prices. Regarding this, a consumer Ajay Kumar said that due to the rising costs of tomatoes, his wife has opted to use packaged tomato puree as a more budget-friendly substitute. Further, to enhance the tomato flavor in meals, his wife has also turned to using curd in place of tomatoes, he said.
Thapliyal further added that the supply of tomatoes from locations like Bangalore, Nasik and other regions has ceased due to crop damage resulting from the prevailing heat wave. He highlighted that the elevated temperatures this year have adversely impacted tomato crops nationwide, consequently affecting their supply. Thapliyal emphasised that the cost of one crate of tomatoes sourced from other states has surged from Rs 600 to Rs 1,000. He further expected that the tomato supply from Bangalore would resume within the next 15 days, leading to an anticipated decrease in prices, he added.
