Here's how the early onset of monsoon could drive up tomato prices

Indian Express

27-05-2025

With the early onset of monsoon in Maharashtra and other places, the price of tomatoes may soon start climbing as farmers have already started reporting heavy losses though excess area is under cultivation this year. Farmers said the current crop, which was planted in February, is unable to withstand the heavy rain and the yield would dip even more in the coming weeks, which could lead to further escalation in prices.
Ajit Gholap, who grows tomatoes in Pune's Junnar taluka, said his crop started to face issues since the first week of May. Pune, along with other parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, had then reported showers due to the development of a low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea. Monsoon arrived in Pune on Monday, 14 days ahead of its usual onset.
On Sunday, Maharashtra witnessed advanced onset of the Southwest Monsoon, 10 days before the usual date of June 5. This is also the earliest onset of monsoon that Mumbai has seen in 35 years. Prior to this, monsoon had entered Kerala and other parts of the southern peninsula earlier than usual.
While the early onset gives a much-needed break from the summer heat, it has upset the calculations of tomato growers. 'My crop was in the third picking stage and would have produced enough till the middle of June. The variety we have grown is suitable for summer, but excess rainfall has resulted in quality deterioration, with the grown produce reporting cracking of skin,' said Gholap who plants the summer variety of tomatoes on his 15-acre farm in Rohkadi village. Transplanted in February, the variety continues to bear fruit till July-August.
Ganesh Nazirkar, a tomato and grape grower in Pune's Baramati, said farmers who had planted the summer crop in May reported losses due to the month's exceptionally heavy showers. 'Prices will continue to rise till the plantation figures stabilise,' he said. Nazirkar runs a consultancy which advises farmers on the best practices for growing tomatoes.
He explained that a majority of the farmers use the TO 6242 variety for the summer crop, which is not amenable to heavy rain. 'Fruits crack in case of excess moisture,' he said. Nazirkar said that during the Kharif season, the Meghdoot variety is grown, which can withstand heavy rains to an extent.
Once the monsoon rains hit, it is the growers from Nashik, Karnataka and other places who take up the task of producing tomatoes for the market for the rest of the year. This crop is planted from May, with farmers continuing the process till July.
At Pune's wholesale market in Gultekdi, tomato prices have already seen a threefold increase over the last three weeks. On May 2, the average traded price of tomato in this market was Rs 850 per quintal, which has since then touched Rs 2,000 per quintal as of May 26. Similarly, at Madanapalle market in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district, the prices of tomatoes has increased from Rs 680 to Rs 740 per quintal in the last three weeks. At present, the retail price of tomato has touched Rs 60-70 per kilogram in Pune and other cities – a sharp rise from the Rs 20-30 per kilogram it was trading for in the first week of May.
The price rise comes even as the country reports higher-than-usual planting of summer tomatoes. This summer, farmers had planted the crop over 3.24 lakh hectares as against 3.14 lakh hectares last year only for the early onset of monsoon to have toppled the cart.