Tomato prices make housewives see red

PANAJI: Housewives and restaurateurs are buying less tomatoes these days. It's not a new health fad, but it's the price that is keeping them away from the juicy red ingredient in their food. With a 100% increase in prices as compared to last month, tomatoes, that jumped from 30 per kg to 60 per kg, are keeping Goans away from it.

"The price of tomatoes is very high. It's unfortunate that these cannot be stored for long as they are perishable items. Instead of buying half a kg, I now buy only a quarter of a kg, thereby reducing the intake." Swati Akerkar, a housewife said.

Another housewife who had just bought some vegetables from the market said the government should step in and ensure that vendors don't charge exorbitant rates. "Even Goa State Horticulture Corporation (GSHC) rates keep increasing by 2 or so daily these days. Keeping an eye on the rates has become a daily routine for us. I didn't buy tomatoes today, because the rates have shot through the roof," she said, adding that a few years ago vegetable prices didn't increase so frequently.

Businesswoman Seema Kumar agreed and said, "Onions at least can be stored, but tomatoes can't. The price hike means that our middle-class lifestyle itself has become a luxury," she said.

Approximately, around 150 tonnes of tomatoes are imported in Goa daily, with most of it coming from Belgaum in Karnataka. GSHCL imports around 25 to 30 tonnes a day, five days a week.

Dayanand Amonkar, a wholesaler at the Panaji market cited shortage of supply as a reason for the rising costs. "Due to the delay in the monsoon, there has been less output (in Belgaum) and that has resulted in the steep rise in costs. Also, these are perishable items so we can't afford to store them for a long time," Amonkar said.

He rejected the proposition that the entry tax imposed last year by the Goa government on non-Goa registration vehicles might have contributed to the rise in prices. "The entry tax is minimal when compared to the value of tomatoes being transported. Due to the rain, a portion of the produce being transported gets wasted, and that adds to the prices," he said.

He rejected the proposition that the entry tax imposed last year by the Goa government on non-Goa registration vehicles might have contributed to the rise in prices. "The entry tax is minimal when compared to the value of tomatoes being transported. Due to the rain, a portion of the produce being transported gets wasted, and that adds to the prices," he said.

Restaurant owners are also facing a tough time. A common practice during the offseason is for restaurants to reduce the use of expensive ingredients in their dishes.

Nagraj Kamat, owner of Shanbhag's Sanyog, in Panaji said he asks his cooks to reduce the use of certain vegetables from time to time in order to offset the hike in costs. "We normally use 10 kg of tomatoes per day, but since tomato prices have shot up, I've ordered my cooks to try and use just 8 kg," said Kamat, "If this is not done, we'd have to increase the prices on the menu."

Small restaurant owners, like Kamat, often have to decide between raising prices and curbing profit margins, but what adds to the situation is the need to strike a balance between maintaining sales and counterbalancing the increase in food costs. An increase in prices of their dishes will keep people away.

There's no good news as prices are slated to increase further. "After tomatoes, onions are next," claimed a vegetable vendor. Potatoes and onions have already increased marginally. Both were being sold for Rs 28 a kg last month and are now selling for Rs 30 and Rs 34 respectively. French beans, on the other hand, have become cheaper, dropping from Rs 100 to Rs 60 a kg.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com