Tomato price drops to Rs 40 per kg in Chennai – Times of India

CHENNAI: Price of tomatoes, whose rates went through the roof for the past one week, has reduced in the local markets. The commodity was available for just Rs 40 a kg at T Nagar and Rs 45 and Rs 70 in Vadapalani and Valasaravakkam. However, tomatoes were not sold for less than Rs 70 through online stores.
M Thyagarajan, president of the Koyambedu Wholesale Tomato Traders Association said that tomato was marketed for Rs45 a kg at the wholesale market on Saturday. “Supply of tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka has increased, which helped in bringing down the rates,” he said.
However, tomato prices may go up by Rs 5 to Rs 10 on Sunday as the arrivals are expected to drop again, he said. The number of vehicles ferrying the commodity to the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex (KWMC), increased to 52 trucks on Saturday.
Meanwhile, consumers purchased volumes of tomatoes as the rates reduced. At a supermarket in Vadapalani, people were in a hurry to get tomatoes priced at Rs 45 a kg.
It may be recalled that tomato cost shot upto Rs160 a kg in the local markets, after arrival of tomatoes dipped significantly at the KWMC due to heavy rain in neighbouring states.
In Coimbatote, the price of tomatoes has come down by 40% with the supply from Mysuru in Karnataka and Nashik in Maharashtra. However, wholesale traders said they were buying only limited quantity as they fear prices might continue to drop further.