The price tag of tomatoes, which was ₹60 a kg last week at the vegetable markets in Rayalaseema districts, all of a sudden jumped to an unnerving ₹100-plus on Saturday. The stocks are the first and second-grade varieties obtained from the Madanapalle market of Annamayya; Palamaner and Punganur markets of Chittoor district.
The first grade is making its way to the supermarkets in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and other northern cities, where it commands a price of close to ₹150 a kg, thus sending shivers all over India post the COVID pandemic.
The last time tomato price crossed ₹200 in south India was in the last quarter of 2015 following devastating rains in November and December, coupled with the Nivar cyclone.
