The tomato market at Madanapalle, the largest in Asia, is witnessing stable trading since the first week of August, with the latest price tagged at ₹16 per kg for the first variety, and ₹10 for the second variety, while the total stocks stood at 460 tonnes on Wednesday.

Tomato prices generally start dropping from August onward, due to the arrival of monsoon rains, followed by cool weather conditions from the last week of October. In contrast, tomato sales have remained steady, though prices have declined from a high of ₹40-46 a kg in the middle of the year.

Market supervisor Vinay Kumar told The Hindu that compared to previous years, tomato farmers this year are a happier lot as they are reaping considerable profits in the Madanapalle region: “Last year, prices plummeted to ₹6 a kg for the fine variety, forcing farmers to stay away from harvesting.”

Production of tomato was low at around 500 tonnes per day this year due to a prolonged dry spell — almost half of last year’s production — which also helped balance supply and demand, said Vinay Kumar.

A steady demand for tomato was also partly due to a spate of local festivals such as the Ganga Jataras of Tirupati and Chittoor and other prominent village festivals elsewher in the neighbouring Nellore and Anantapur districts. The Adi month (a sacred month for devotees of Lord Muruga) in Chittoor and Tamil Nadu also helped sustain the demand in June and July. Traders are hopeful that the price would continue to remain the same till October, as major festivals are around the corner.

Slump in exports
Vinay Kumar said that there has been a slump in exports at the Madanapalle market since the middle of the year: “Tomato farming has immensely picked up in Maharashtra and a couple of northern States. So, it has impacted exports here this year.”

Coming to the retail market, the tomato price continues to be a source of worry for household consumers with the second variety (₹10 per kg in the wholesale market) is selling at ₹20 a kg in the vegetable markets and at roadside vendors. The first variety is as usual hitting supermarkets in major cities in South and North India.

Meanwhile, the price of onions is perturbing consumers all over Chittoor district, with ₹60 a kg for the fine variety, ₹40 for the second grade and ₹30 for the last category.

[ ₹100  =  €1.26 ]