Harsh weather hits crops; tomato gets pricier

NEW DELHI: Extreme weather conditions, linked to climate change, have hit output of several crops this year, making fruits and vegetables pricier.

The average retail price of tomatoes, a basic ingredient in most Indian dishes, has surged 70% from a month ago to ₹53.75 a kilogramme as on June 2, according to data from the Union food ministry. This is a 168% increase from a year ago.

The supply of tomato from states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka has dwindled.

The average grocery bill of an Indian is rising as consumer inflation quickened to an eightyear high of 7.79% in April, driven by food inflation.

Unseasonal rains had damaged lemon crops during the flowering stage in several states in January. Then, a heatwave during harvesting in Marchapril crimped output. Consequently, in April, prices of lemons surged to unseen levels, reaching up to ₹200 a kilo, leaving consumers angry and shocked.

Also, India’s output of mango crop, the king of fruits, this summer is estimated to have gone down by 20% due to unfavourable weather. “The yield in Uttar Pradesh is less by nearly 20% and quality has been affected too,” said Haji Kalimullah Khan, an award-winning mangobreeder known as “Mango Man of India”.

Heavy rains in December-january, when mango trees flower, and early summer, when the crop bears fruit, led to a drop in yield. “It is now widely agreed by scientists that the number of rainy days will decrease due to the impact of climate change but total quantum of rainfall will remain same,” said KJ Ramesh, former chief of the IMD.

India saw the hottest summer in 122 years in March this year, which shrunk wheat in states such as Punjab by an estimated 4.7% to 106 million tonnes, prompting India to ban wheat exports last month. Households have been warned to brace for more inflation, adding to concerns about its impact on the cost of living of the poorest households, which spend almost all of their income on food and other essentials.

THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF TOMATOES HAS SURGED 70% FROM A MONTH AGO TO ₹53.75 A KG