Karnataka: Tomato prices skyrocket, households see red

Residents of Bangaluru have been taken aback by a sudden and significant increase in tomato prices. This essential vegetable, widely used in households, has witnessed a staggering 200% price hike. On Monday, the cost of one kilogram of tomatoes soared to Rs 125, compared to Rs 40 in the third week of May. The surge in prices is primarily attributed to disruptions in the tomato supply chain from key districts such as Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, and Bengaluru Rural. At the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) yard in Kolar, a major tomato trading hub, a crate weighing 15 kilograms was sold for Rs 1,080-1,100 on Monday. Traders in Bengaluru acquired the crates at an even higher cost.