Tomato Prices Skyrocket in Nagpur Due to Rains and Reduced Supply
Nagpur, India: Tomato prices are raised to ₹100 per kilogram in Nagpur, as unseasonal rains and a virus attack have severely impacted the supply.
Farmers from Nashik say the rains have damaged the crops, leaving only about a quarter of the produce. As a result, a 20-kg crate of tomatoes is fetching ₹1,500 to ₹1,600 in Nashik's farm produce markets, with retail prices of ₹100 to ₹120 per kilogram in Nagpur. In markets like Gokulpeth and Cotton Market, the lowest quality tomatoes are sold at ₹70 to ₹80 per kilogram.
Market experts say, this price increase is temporary and it is said that prices to lower within a month or two. "Heavy rains in the Nashik region have damaged crops, and with a reduced supply, prices have more than doubled in just a week," said Shankar Dikhale, a tomato farmer from Nashik. He added that farmers had already reduced the area under tomato cultivation this year due to poor returns last season, further tightening the supply.
Despite the overall negative impact, some farmers are seeing an unexpected benefit. "With less crop to harvest, labour costs have decreased, and the high prices are helping us recover from the loss and even turn a profit," Dikhale said.
Vilas Shinde, president of Sahyadri Farms, noted that while some farmers are profiting, others have suffered significant losses due to the crop damage. He expects prices to stabilize once fresh crops from Nashik and other regions arrive.
Tomato supplies in Nagpur are currently being sourced mainly from Amravati and Chhindwara, as heavy rains have also affected yields in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. "The supply has dropped to just 100 trucks a day, down from the usual 2,000 during this season," said Srinivasulu Reddy, a trader from Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh.
Soybean Prices Fall Below MSP in Vidarbha
In other agricultural news, soybean prices in Vidarbha have dropped below the minimum support price (MSP) as the harvest begins. Market rates are currently between ₹3,800 and ₹4,300 per quintal, while the MSP is set at ₹4,892 per quintal. Farmers are urging the government to open procurement centres soon to ensure better rates during the festival season. Meanwhile, the cotton harvest in the region has been delayed by another week due to weather conditions.
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