BENGALURU: As the city prepares for this year’s first festival, Sankranti , there is some bad news for those gearing up for the celebrations. Prices of many vegetables have escalated, thanks to cold weather and less yield this time. Market experts see tomato prices touching Rs 100 per kg in the retail market . “Tomatoes are currently being sold at Rs 60 per kg while the price was around Rs 25-30 till a few days ago. Owing to drought in Karnataka and Maharashtra (from where Karnataka receives supplies during this season), there is shortage of tomatoes in local markets. This has led to an increase in prices. If the shortage continues, tomato rates may go up to Rs100,” said an official from Hopcoms.Siraj Ahmed, a vegetable merchant at Russell Market, said tomato prices in Mumbai markets have also surged and the producers in Maharashtra are sending most of the produce there as they are getting good returns. “To get tomatoes from Maharashtra, local traders have to struggle a lot. Even in local markets, owing to rain deficit and lack of good returns, farmers haven’t shown much interest in cultivating tomatoes and other vegetables. Acute cold conditions are posing a challenge to the storage of vegetables. All these factors are having an impact on vegetable prices,” Ahmed added.Low temperature and water shortage have resulted in less production of other vegetables as well, which are basically short-term crops. “Prices of brinjal, carrot, beans and lady’s finger have also gone up,” said a Hopcoms official.Pramod P, a farmer from Kolar, said the production has come down this season in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and other districts around Bengaluru, which supply vegetables to the city on a regular basis. “Seeing the market demand, farmers have now started cultivating vegetables. However, it will take one to three months before the yield arrives in Bengaluru markets,” he added.

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