 "Tomato and ginger prices shoot up as rainfall dwindles crop supply")
The price of essential food items, tomatoes, and ginger have risen within the last two weeks. The recent unseasonal rains in northern India have affected tomato crop supply while ginger farmers are holding back the crop and waiting for prices to keep rising, according to a report by The Economic Times (ET).
According to a report by The Hindu in July 2022, ginger price was approximately Rs 1,300 a bag, a significant drop from the previous year at Rs 2,000. Ginger farmers are reportedly trying to make up for the losses of the previous year. Ginger production in India is reportedly around 2.12 million metric tons per annum.
Tomato prices, on the other hand, have doubled, going from Rs 40 per kg in early May to Rs 80 in June as rains have damaged the crop.
The northern parts of India has witnessed sporadic and heavy rainfall, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) putting out yellow alerts throughout the second half of May.
According to a Times of India report, tomato vendors stated that the wholesale price of the crop had gone down to Rs 4 per kg in Pune in early May.
The President of the Tomato Traders Association at Azadpur market, Ashok Kaushik, told ET that since crop damage has dwindled the supply of tomatoes, prices are expected to remain firm for at least two months until the new supply arrives. He added there is strong demand for the crop from southern states, which is also driving the prices up.
The report also added that the export of melon seeds (char magaz) has increased threefold due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The price is now Rs 900 per kg compared to Rs 300 per kg before the Sudan conflict began in April 2023.