Shimla
As the festive season begins, vegetable prices in Himachal Pradesh’s capital, Shimla, continue to rise sharply. The cost of tomatoes increased by Rs 40 per kilogram over the previous week, and on Tuesday, the retail price reached Rs 100 per kilogram. In Shimla’s Lower Bazaar, tomatoes were sold at a wholesale rate of ₹70-75 per kilogram, while retail prices ranged between ₹80 and ₹100 per kilogram. The scarcity of tomatoes is the reason for the price increases, which are happening on a daily basis.
Stretched by inflation, the household budgets have already been badly hit by increase in the price. Currently, the prices of other veggies such as peas (₹160), onions (₹60), and capsicum (₹80-100) per kilogram are being offered. Vegetable trader Amit stated that although there is still a shortage of tomatoes, prices have increased due to the increased demand.
Vishweshwar Nath, president of the Vegetable Market Traders Association, clarified that prices are predicted to level off during Diwali, when a new supply of tomatoes from Nashik is anticipated. Currently, Himachal is the only region with a tomato crop, leading to limited supply and rising prices.