Chandigarh, 11 October, 2024: With vegetable supplies from nearby hilly regions affected, prices for onions and tomatoes continue to rise. Retail prices for tomatoes have jumped to ₹100 per kilogram, doubling from ₹50 in September.
In Chandigarh’s apni mandis, tomatoes are selling for ₹80 per kilogram, up from ₹70 last week.
Onion prices in apni mandis have also increased, rising from ₹55 per kilogram in September to ₹60 now.
Komal Sharma, in charge of apni mandis for the Punjab Mandi Board, explained that adverse weather conditions in July have impacted local tomato production in Punjab.
Consequently, apni mandis in Chandigarh have begun sourcing tomatoes from Himachal Pradesh and Bangalore to meet demand.
However, erratic supply from the hills during the monsoon, along with rising transportation and logistics costs, has led to current prices of ₹80 per kilogram, with fluctuations reaching up to ₹100.
The rise in onion prices is attributed to a shortage of kharif onions from Maharashtra, the country’s largest producer, which is also affecting other states. Prices for other hill-grown vegetables have also risen, with capsicum selling for ₹160 per kilogram, brinjal at ₹60, and bottle gourd at ₹50.
