Red alert: Tomato prices soar to Rs 30 per kg at Monda Market

Secunderabad: Buying of tomato, a key vegetable in every south Indian curry, seems to be a costly affair now. The surge in its price to Rs 30 per kg is adversely affecting customer’s footfall. Incidentally, the onions are available at Rs 18 per kg at Monda Market, Secunderabad.

Around 20 vegetable carrying lorries from Hasmathpet vegetable market line up here. Most of the vegetables that land up at the popular markets come from Chittoor and Vijayawadadistricts. As many as vegetable vendors reasoned the decline in tomato produce for the hiked prices. “As of now, I get around five trays of tomato that cost around Rs 700. 

Earlier, there would be around eight to nine trays at my disposal. It is because of the customers turning away due to hiked prices of tomato,” says Renuka, a vegetable vendor who sells only tomato and is facing the heat. The selling prices of remaining vegetables are more or less the same with small fluctuations between Rs 5 and 10. In the meanwhile, the cost of capsicum and beans came down to Rs 60 from Rs 100 per kg.