Hyderabad: The price of tomato is expected to fall by 50 per cent by next week with fresh crops from the state arriving in city markets.
The price had zoomed to Rs 100 a kg after the marketing department began importing from UP and Rajasthan. But with increasing stocks coming in from Madanapalle, prices have been coming down day by day in the city markets. On Tuesday, the wholesale price was recorded as Rs 29 per kg and in rythu bazaars the price was Rs 31 per kg.
On Wednesday, the government imported 275 quintals of normal tomatoes and 509 quintals of tomato-618 (Bengaluru type). Following increased arrivals that met the demand of the city, the price went down to Rs 14 per kg in the wholesale market for normal tomatoes and Rs 20 per kg for the Bengaluru type.
The model price in rythu bazaars was announced at Rs 17 per kg for normal tomatoes, Rs 5 lower than the price recorded last year on the same day (July 6). Bengaluru tomatoes’ model price in Rythu bazaars was declared as Rs 23 per kg, which is about Rs 6 lower than last year’s.
An official from marketing department said that the increase in arrivals from Madanapalle ensured that the prices came down by 50 per cent. “Once the crop from Telangana comes to city markets, the rate may come down by another Rs 10 per kg,” the official said.
Assistant director of the horticulture department K. Venu Gopal said that city outskirts and rural areas in Ranga Reddy district had about 1,200 hectare of tomato crop, and about 1,400 hectare of new crops were planted by farmers in summer.
“The new crop will arrive in city markets from next week. In two weeks, the price of tomatoes will come down by 50 per cent compared to the current price,” Mr Vopal said.
