Hyderabad: In Hyderabad, the prices of tomatoes that had breached Rs. 100 per kilogram mark recently have witnessed a significant drop.
Tomatoes that were costlier than mangoes on Wednesday last week have dropped to Rs. 50 per kilogram level today.
However, on online grocery stores, the prices of tomatoes are slightly higher than in the offline market. On online grocery stores in Hyderabad, the prices of tomatoes are 60-80 per kilogram.
In the first week of April, tomato prices in the city were between Rs. 10 and Rs. 12 per kilogram. It reached Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 a kilogram in the first week of May. By the end of May, it reached Rs. 80-100 a kilogram level.
Reasons for high tomato price in Hyderabad
The main reason behind the high tomato prices in Hyderabad is the supply-demand mismatch. The summer season is also responsible for the high prices.
During the summer season, especially in May, the supply of tomatoes from the farms within the state decreases due to crop damage.
In order to satisfy the demand of tomatoes, local traders get the vegetable from Karnataka and other states. However, due to the rise in fuel prices, the traders are forced to increase the prices to pass on the expenses.
It is expected that the tomato prices in Hyderabad will further come down by mid-June.
