Currently, India is facing a tomato crisis. The prices for tomatoes have skyrocketed where the nationwide average price is a whopping ₹117 per kg. From restaurants avoiding the said vegetable in their dishes to memes creating a storm on the Internet, this is an alarming situation. But we have more bad news awaiting us! Farmers say that amid skyrocketing tomato prices, cucumbers, bottle gourd and ridge gourd are next.
Cucumber, Bottle Gourd & Ridge Gourd Prices To Increase
A report by Republic TV informs that after tomatoes many other vegetables will see a significant rise in their prices. Due to heavy rains and flooding in North India, the prices of bottle gourd, cucumber, apple gourd and ridge gourd could increase substantially. Currently, in the fruiting phase, some farmers have managed to salvage their harvest, but others may not be so lucky. On a larger scale, there could be crop devastation.
With entire harvests turning futile, and abandoned by farmers amid flooding, this repercussion will be felt in the consumer market. As per Republic TV, the worst-hit crops are tomatoes, cucumber, bottle gourd and even okra. So consumers can expect to pay even double the price for these vegetables. With consumers already burdened with tomato prices, this can add further strain to their pockets.
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Erratic Rains & Flooding The Culprit
Other the past few weeks, vegetable prices have skyrocketed due to the flooding in North India and the erratic monsoon season. Price hikes in the monsoon season are not uncommon. But this year’s situation is dire due to the erratic rainfall which has caused deaths and destruction on a massive scale. Food is the major cause of inflation in India. Its share in inflation has increased from 36% to 44% in the last month.
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Currently, India’s retail inflation rate is at 4.81 per cent in June Apart from households in India, even roadside eateries in cities and small businesses are experiencing the consequences of the rising vegetable prices. Many are battling squeezed profit margins and even reduced quality due to the absence of ingredients.
Meanwhile, how are you grappling with the rising tomato prices? Also, what do you think of cucumbers, ridge gourd getting expensive in the near future?
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