Tomato, onion prices rise sharply on high fuel rates, crop damages

The prices of vegetables like tomato and onion have increased in Delhi's wholesale and retail markets, owing to crop damages in Karnataka and Maharashtra due to heavy rainfall and high fuel rates, vegetable traders said on Tuesday. They said the price rise in the wholesale rates of vegetables was between Rs 10 and Rs 15 per kg; while in the retail market, it was around Rs 15-20 per kg.

Vegetable traders indicated that these consumables may get dearer in the coming weeks if a similar situation continues.

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Vegetable vendors told PTI that, "tomato prices are ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 55 per kg, while it earlier used to be at around Rs 40 per kg. Similarly, onion prices have also been hiked and now, it is around Rs 50 per kg which used to be sold earlier at around Rs 35-40 per kg."

Diesel prices are at a record high fuelling hike in transport cost for vegetables. Most of the onion and tomatoes come to the national capital from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.