Tomato prices soar as Madanapalle market faces severe supply crunch

Tomato prices at the Madanapalle Agricultural Market Yard, considered Asia’s largest, have risen sharply, with Grade-I tomatoes touching ₹42 a kg and Grade-II at ₹32 a kg on Sunday. This follows a steep fall in arrivals to just 70 tonnes, compared with the season’s daily average of about 800 tonnes — the lowest in recent months.

In open markets across the Rayalaseema region, average-quality tomatoes are selling at around ₹60 a kg, while top varieties have crossed ₹80 a kg in popular retail outlets.

With Sankranti festivities approaching, along with ongoing Dhanurmasam rituals and the Ayyappa Deeksha season, market officials and traders attribute the sharp decline mainly to weather-related crop stress and delayed harvests in key tomato-growing areas such as Valmikipuram, Nimmanapalle, Tamballapalle, Punganur, and surrounding mandals. Heavy rains in November and fluctuating temperatures have hit yields hard, resulting in fewer consignments reaching the market yard.

The supply shortage has coincided with a seasonal rise in demand from households, hotels, and catering units. Bulk buyers from neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, have also stepped up purchases from Madanapalle, further tightening supplies.

“Such low arrivals are rare for Madanapalle, which usually handles several hundred tonnes a day during normal seasons,” said Basha, a seasoned trader.

Farmers are hopeful of better price realisation but remain cautious about potential crop losses if adverse weather persists, such as a prolonged winter or early summer. Market observers expect prices to remain firm in the short term, with relief dependent on improved arrivals from fresh harvests in the coming weeks.