The hot red tomato: One in three households have paid over ₹200/kg; 17% have given up

Over the last few months, apart from politics, cricket and movies, the ubiquitous tomato has also been a hot topic of discussion at any social gathering. Prices of tomato, an integral part of Indian cuisine, have shot through the roof sparking a meme fest on social media.

From ₹20/kilo in June, prices are now over ₹200/kilo, a jump of 10X and this has burnt a hole in the middle class Indian’s pocket.

Surging tomato prices have made it unaffordable for some

A survey by the community social media platform Local Circles, sought to understand from household consumers the prices they paid last week for tomatoes. It asked them, "What best describes the price for tomatoes that your household paid most recently?"

The query received 11,565 responses, with one in three households stating that they paid over ₹200 per kg for their last purchase of tomatoes. The data shows that 26% of households surveyed has paid ₹100-150/kg of tomatoes during their last purchase; 30% had paid ₹150-200/kg for tomatoes; 23% had paid a higher price of ₹200-250/kg, and 10% of households had paid over ₹250/kg.

However, 4% of households surveyed indicated that they paid ₹70-100 per kg, and another 4% were fortunate to be able to buy tomatoes for less than ₹70/kg.

The remaining 3% of households surveyed opted to indicate "can't say." In sum, 89% of households surveyed bought tomatoes for over ₹100/kg. The data also suggested that 17% of households who were earlier buying tomatoes have stopped consuming them post the surge in prices.

People have had to wait in lines for hours to buy Government-supplied tomatoes

In community discussions, feedback highlighted customer frustration with the Government-supplied tomatoes. Consumers expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that the logistics of distribution were poorly managed. They complained about the lack of specific time details, resulting in people having to wait in line for hours just to buy tomatoes with only location information available.

Many individuals reported standing in queues for a couple of hours to purchase tomatoes, leading to a loss of working hours and productivity. Consequently, some community members decided to give up on buying tomatoes through the Government channel altogether due to the inconvenience and time wasted.

Government subsidies had helped but…

A comparative study of various surveys conducted between June 27 and August 6 reveals interesting trends in tomato purchasing patterns. On June 27, 18% of households reported buying tomatoes for more than INR 100/kg. However, this percentage dramatically increased to 87% by July 14, indicating a significant surge in tomato prices during that period.

After the government agencies began selling subsidised tomatoes, the situation improved slightly. This, in turn, helped alleviate retail prices, and by July 19, the number of households buying tomatoes for over INR 100/kg decreased to 82%. The trend continued, and by July 30, the percentage further decreased to 64%, suggesting a positive impact of the subsidised tomatoes on retail prices.

However, the latest survey on August 6 revealed a sharp rise in tomato prices once again. Now, a staggering 89% of households surveyed are paying over ₹100/kg for tomatoes, indicating an escalation in prices compared to the earlier period.