The average wholesale rate at Pimpalgaon APMC nosedived from Rs 321 per crate of 20kg on Oct 12 to Rs 111 per crate on Monday
Nashik : Tomato farmers face a huge jolt as drought conditions coincide with a steep price crash at Pimpalgaon APMC, one of India’s biggest wholesale tomato markets, where rates have plummeted nearly 65% to Rs 111 per crate of 20kg in a week, driven by oversupply and weak demand.
On the retail front, the kitchen staple was selling for Rs 20 per kg in Nashik on Monday as compared to about Rs 40 per kg a week earlier — an average drop of 50%. The average wholesale rate at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) nosedived from Rs 321 per crate of 20kg (around Rs 16 per kg) on Oct 12 to a mere Rs 111 per crate (Rs 5.55 per kg) on Monday, triggering concerns among growers already battling rising cultivation costs. “The market has been swamped by arrivals, with 3 lakh to 3.75 lakh crates reaching the APMC daily over the past week. On Monday, tomato prices ranged dramatically from Rs 20 to Rs 331 per crate, depending on quality. Poor-quality tomatoes fetched as little as Rs 1 per kg, while premium produce managed up to Rs 16.55 per kg, with traders expecting a further drop in the rates if the current trend persisted.
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If the trend persists, further correction in prices is expected in the retail market in the coming days,” a retailer said. The surge in supply has badly outstripped demand, dragging prices to rock-bottom levels,” an APMC official said. Traders said soaring temperatures accelerated ripening, causing unusually large quantities to reach markets at the same time. “Because of the heat, tomatoes are ripening earlier than usual, leading to higher arrivals,” an official in charge of the tomato section at the APMC said.
“The decline in wholesale prices take a day or two before reflecting in the retail market. The demand side has offered little relief. The APMC officials pointed to a slowdown during the Navaratra period, when several wholesale markets remained shut, coupled with weaker export demand. Adding to growers’ woes, key consuming states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are currently meeting their needs through local supplies, reducing dependence on tomatoes from Nashik. Download the TOI App.