When Kissan started giving away tomato seeds with their ketchup bottles, as part of their campaign, titled ‘Real Joy of Togetherness’ in 2014, little did we know, that there will come a day when we desperately need those tomato plants. With tomato prices shooting up to as high as Rs 80/kg in less than two weeks, how we wish if only those tomato seeds had come to our rescue on this day!
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Rising 0.79% in May, India’s Wholesale Price Index(WPI) has accelerated for the second straight session which is a steep climb from previous month's 0.34%. WPI has been pushed higher by a spike in vegetable prices, not to mention that the rise in tomato prices fuelled the spike.
Inflation in vegetables stood at 12.94%, a sharp rise from 2.21 per cent, a month earlier. Considering that vegetables constitute the part and parcel of the daily routine of an average Indian, an increase in price comes as a big blow for a middle-class family.
The price of almost all the vegetables, be it ladies finger, potatoes, ginger, cauliflower or cabbage has shot up drastically making it difficult for the common man to manage a hassle-free monthly expense. Tomato, however tops the list with price per kilo as high as Rs 80. Not more than a week back the price of tomato only aroundRs 40/kg.
Though unseasonal rains are the chief reason for the rise in prices, lack of adequate cold storage as well as low shelf life of certain vegetables like tomatoes have added on to the price hike.
With the food ministry announcing to keep an eye on the matter of price rise in vegetables as well as dal, it is yet to see whether the common man will see relief any time soon.