Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Jun 27: The rate of tomatoes that is sought after much in any dish is soaring since a few days. On Monday, the rate was hovering at Rs 80 per kilo. In some places it is sold at Rs 90 per kg also.
Tomato was being sold at Rs 25 to 30 just 15 days ago. People who were buying one to two kg are managing with half and quarter kilo of the vegetable.
Bakrid festival is round the corner. In most of the houses biriyani and other meat dishes are prepared for the festival. Tomato is inevitable in all the dishes that are prepared for Bakrid.
Though social functions have reduced due to rainy season, weddings are still taking place. Even for normal lunch and free food programmes, tomato is very much needed. The increase in rate has caused burden to poor and middle class people of society.
A vegetable merchant says, “Tomato crop is rotting in Belur and Halebeedu due to the continuous rains of past few days. That is why the rate has gone high. On the other hand there is demand from North India also which has caused increase in the price of vegetable.
Swarna Sundar, vice president of hoteliers’ association, said, “Not only tomato but the prices of all vegetables and pulses have sky rocketed. Electricity charges are also increased. During festival and wedding season the demand is naturally more. But we are not increasing rates of our dishes.”
As there is demand for tomatoes from Bangladesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Kolkata, the rate touched Rs 100 per kilo in Kolar itself. The rate might go down if the tomatoes arrive from Poona according to a vegetable merchant.
Kudpi Jagadish Shenoy, president of Dakshina Kannada Hotel owners’ association, said, “The rate of tomato has doubled in the past two days. In addition, the rates of other vegetables and pulses have also increased. But we cannot increase the prices of snacks all of a sudden. It has become difficult for us to run business.”
Tomatoes are main ingredients for the local cuisine and middle and lower middle class are forced to prepare dishes and food without them. On the other hand, the development has made tomato growers happy in the state as it is fetching them good money after a long time.
The prices of tomatoes have touched Rs 100 per kg for first quality tomatoes at malls and supermarkets. The third quality tomatoes which are coming to local markets where the majority of households make purchases are costing Rs 60 to Rs 80/kg. The merchants explain that going by the trend, the prices will reach Rs 100/kg soon here as well.
The market sources explained that there is a huge drop in the arrival of tomatoes to the Kolar Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC)this season. The market, which provides a major chunk of supply to Bengaluru saw 300 to 400 loads of arrivals. This season it has been reduced to 100 loads. The first quality tomatoes are being exported to Kerala and Gujarat states.
Market sources are expecting arrivals from Nasik. The production of tomatoes was hit due to leaf disease. However, the farmers, who managed to reap a good harvest, are happy with the profits they are making this season. Recently, the farmers had been protesting over the sharp drop in the prices of tomatoes by throwing the entire crop on roads.
The middle and lower middle class families, who are running their families with tight budgets, have replaced the tomato with tamarind for preparing food. The hotels have also stopped using the tomatoes and most of them have taken off tomato soup from the menu.
With inputs from IANS