Tomatoes go the onion way, rates spiral

NEW DELHI, October 23: The onion-tomato price race is hotting up. Onion was sold for Rs 60 per kg in the open market today; a kg of tomato went for Rs 35.

The Delhi Government attributes the sharp rise in tomato prices — from Rs 20 on Tuesday to Rs 35 today — to unexpected heavy rainfall last week. “The floods have damaged a lot of the crops,” said Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj. “And tomato is a more perishable commodity than onion or potato.”Though she is yet decide on import of tomato, she met Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Surjit Singh Barnala today to discuss potato and dal.

“I requested him that we should ban export of potato and dal as a precautionary measure. Onion continued to be exported till August, though the demand in the country kept rising and resulted in the present crisis,” she said.

Also in the past two days, low onion supply at Azadpur has contributed to another sharp upswing in the onion price graph. “There is no supply from Nasik. And besides, we have no control over open market prices”.