Residents of Pune, in Maharashtra, Western India are heaving a sigh of relief now that tomatoes cost cheaper than before, as supplies rebound.
By August 13, 2024, fresh supplies in Pune’s Narayangaon market had more than doubled from 12,000 crates to over 30,000 crates.
Even the retailers lowered their prices from 100 rupees ($1.19) a kg to 60 rupees ($0.71) a kg minimum.
Wholesale rates at Narayangaon have also ameliorated considerably, with a crate of 20 kg costing as little as 100 rupees ($1.19). The maximum price per crate has also cooled to just 400 rupees ($4.76) at wholesale.
Market prices could decline even more as the Kharif season’s tomato harvest begins in Maharashtra by late August.
There are already early signs of such a decline, as wholesale prices at some markets are at “Rs 10 to RS 25 per kg.” This according to Balasaheb Konde, chair of the Marketyard of Gultekadi in Pune, briefing the Times of India.
Retail Tomatoes Cost Way More than at Wholesale
From the above pricing revelation, it looks like retail consumers pay far above their wholesale counterparts.
Indeed, some residents of Pune remark that paying 80 rupees ($0.95) per kg is rather surprising given the supply increase. This is in reference to the fact that wholesale customers are buying the same kilo for as little as 10 rupees ($0.12).
Be it as it may, tomatoes have a volatile pricing curve throughout India due to dynamic weather currents. For instance, in June and July, a combination of summer heat and early monsoon precipitation impacts supplies and causes price swings.
2023 was no exception, as July’s retail prices hit 160 rupees ($1.91) a kg only to fall to 30 rupees ($0.36) in August.
So, Punekars are now enjoying a tomato cost meltdown that could soon get even better as the harvest begins. And tomatoes are an important crop in both Maharashtra and India in general as the following statistics show.
India and Maharashtra Tomato Statistics
In 2022, India ranked second globally in the production value of tomatoes after China, at $6.181 billion, according to FAOSTAT. The production quantity hit 20,694,000 tonnes in 2022, also the second highest globally. Regarding exports, India ranks lowly because it consumes most of its tomatoes. In 2021, for instance, it ranked 24th for fresh/chilled tomato shipments totaling 86,965.6 tonnes, according to the World Bank.
How high is tomato production in Pune and Maharashtra?
According to the government of India, Maharashtra ranked 13th among tomato-producing states in India at 1,030,040 tonnes per year, from 2013 to 2018. In the 2019-20 season the production estimate was at 781,370 tonnes or 3.81% of the national production total.
How do tomato prices in Maharashtra compare to the rest of India?
Government data shows that Maharashtra has a below-average wholesale pricing for tomatoes. In 2019, for instance, while the national average was 1,811.89 rupees ($11.58) a quintal, Maharashtra’s was 1,234.68 rupees ($14.71). The lowest price was in Uttrakhand at 602.02 rupees ($7.17) a quintal, whereas the highest in Mizoram at 4,650 rupees ($55.38).