Prices of tomatoes drops in Koyambedu wholesale market

The prices of staple vegetables, particularly of tomatoes, cooled down in the Koyambedu wholesale market, on Thursday. However, traders said onion prices are likely to go up in a fortnight

The prices of staple vegetables, particularly of tomatoes, cooled down in the Koyambedu wholesale market, on Thursday. However, traders said onion prices are likely to go up in a fortnight.

The prices of tomatoes, which touched ₹200 a kg recently, fell to ₹60 to ₹80 a kg in the wholesale market and to ₹100 a kg in retail outlets. The cost of kitchen staple is on the decline now as arrivals are on the rise from States such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

On Thursday, the market received nearly 350 tonnes of tomatoes. Although it was still only half the normal daily load, it was adequate to bring down the price. Wholesale merchants said the sales had been dull for the past few days. Low demand helped stabilise the prices of some vegetables. Prices of some vegetables such as carrots, ginger and shallots continued to be high in the wholesale market.

Many vegetables were priced around ₹30 a kg in the wholesale market. The normally pricey vegetables such as beans and broad beans sold for ₹30 to ₹40 a kg, the traders said.

P. Sukumar, treasurer, Koyambedu Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers Merchant Association, said if the mild weather continued in the producing States, the price of tomatoes would fall further. “We expect onions to become costly by August-end or early September. Its wholesale price is ₹16 to ₹24 a kg. This may go up to ₹50 to ₹60 a kg by next month,” he said.

The market gets 50% of its onion stock from Nasik and the remaining produce from Karnataka and Telangana. The shortage in stock is likely in neighbouring States, Mr. Sukumar added.