Surging cost of tomatoes, green chilli make food ‘spicier’; tamarind, ginger turn it sourer, pungent

HYDERABAD: A steeper-than-expected surge in the price of tomatoes and green chillies is having a cascading effect on the other vegetables and also commodities like tamarind and ginger, bringing no respite to consumers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Stakeholders attributed the price rise of tomatoes to supply issues and the consumers could get relief when a fresh crop arrives next month.

In Hyderabad, the price of the tomato, a much-sought-after vegetable, is nowhere in the reach of the common people. The price of tomatoes touched Rs 150 per kg at a wholesale market in Hyderabad and it was around between Rs 170-200 per kg in the retail market, depending on its quality. Green chillies are costing Rs. 140 a kg in the market.

Already, several people who could no longer afford tomatoes have removed them from their menu and switched to alternatives such as tamarind and lemon. Adding to their woes, the price of tamarind increased, making it much more difficult for the survival of common people. However, they cannot do away with green chillies though they have an immediate alternative in chilli powder.

The tangy fruit which was being sold for Rs 180 to Rs 200 a kg at wholesale markets in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh two months ago, now costs between Rs 240 and Rs 260. The price of tamarind in the retail market costs around Rs 280 per kg. Use of tamarind as an alternative to pricey tomatoes, which have crossed Rs 150 a kg, is said to be the primary reason for the increased demand and price of tamarind.

In Hyderabad, the price of tamarind is around Rs 260 per kg in Malakpet and Begumbazar wholesale markets.

Traders maintained that the tamarind produced from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka would arrive in the wholesale markets in Hyderabad every year. However, this year, the tamarind crop was poor because of heavy rains and high temperatures during peak flower and fruit-bearing stages.

“I know the prices of tomatoes are not in the reach of common people for a month. But now, the price of tamarind, which has been used as an alternative to tomatoes, is increasing steadily. Steps should be taken by the Government in stablising the prices of essential commodities considering the plight of common people,” said Ch Anuradha, a home maker in Hyderabad.

In Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur district and surrounding Karnataka areas stand as top producers of the sweet and rich quality of tamarind and pulp in the State, followed by Chittoor and other parts of Rayalaseema. Hindupur market is famous for tamarind as several farmers from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are dependent on it.

“In the last two cropping seasons, the yield has significantly dropped due to rains and high temperatures. On an average, the yield was around four to five quintals per acre in the last two years, and now the yield is just a quintal or two per acre. A decline in the yield and area of cultivation have also contributed to the price rise, apart from using tamarind alternatives for tomatoes,” said N Venkateswara Reddy, a trader at Hindupur market.