Hyderabad: In Hyderabad, tomatoes have turned costlier than mangoes as the price of the vegetable has breached Rs. 100 per kilogram mark in the retail market.
The cost of the tomatoes in Hyderabad is in the range of Rs. 90-110 per kilogram in the retail market whereas, the mangoes are being sold for Rs. 50-80 per kilogram.
In the first week of April, tomato prices in the city were between Rs. 10 and Rs. 12 per kilogram. It reached Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 a kilogram in the first week of May.
Reasons behind rise in tomato prices in Hyderabad
One of the reasons behind the spike in tomato prices in Hyderabad is the supply-demand mismatch. The summer season is also responsible for the hike in prices.
During the summer season, especially in May, the supply of tomatoes from the farms within the state decreases due to crop damage.
In order to satisfy the demand of tomatoes, local traders get the vegetable from Karnataka and other states. However, due to the rise in fuel prices, the traders are forced to increase the prices to pass on the expenses.
At present, around 60 percent of Hyderabad’s tomato demand is being catered by the supply of the vegetable from other states.
It is expected that the tomato prices in Hyderabad will come down by mid-June.
Mango prices in Hyderabad
Meanwhile, the prices of mango in Hyderabad have come down slightly.
In the retail market, the price of benishan mango which was Rs. 80-100 per kilogram two weeks ago is now dropped down to Rs. 50-70 per kilogram.
The prices of other varieties of mangoes also witnessed a slight dip.
