Tomato prices in the state of Telangana have skyrocketed, with a kilo costing between Rs 130 to Rs 140.
According to reports, this is more than a 300% increase compared to the corresponding period last year, when tomatoes costed roughly Rs 40 per kilo.
With a population of more than 4 crore, Telangana depends on its neighbouring state Andhra Pradesh to import tomatoes for its markets.
Rajavva, a vegetable vendor at the Kamareddy daily market said, "I have bought a 20 kg basket at Rs 2,100, compared to the usual rates ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 450."
The steep hike in the price has irked many customers across the state.
This reporter witnessed Rajender Rao, another vendor at Kamareddy, tell his regular customer ''Since you come here regularly, I'm giving you at Rs. 130".
Irked at the high price, the buyer said, "What price is that? It's better we eat money, rather than tomatoes.”
A report suggests that only 3% of the total consumed tomatoes in the state were grown domestically, while more than 85% were imported from Madanapalle in Andra Pradesh and other parts of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Vendors and farmers feel that the reason for the high price of the tomatoes, is due to uneven rain in the neighbouring states.
Rajender Rao, who has been a vegetable vendor for 15 years, says, "Usually we used to import from neighbouring states as the domestically yielded tomatoes are not enough. However, the (uneven) rainfall in those states have affected the markets."
The hike also seems to have a direct affect on other businesses like hotels and restaurants.
M. Nagurao, who runs a hotel at the outskirts of Kamareddy, said, "We use tomatoes in making a variety of dishes. If this continues, we might remove certain dishes from our menu, as we cannot afford the prices.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest that state Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister Etela Rajender have taken stock of the situation.