Amid heat, tomato rates surge further to Rs 65/kg

Panaji: Tomato prices in parts of the state have increased to Rs 65 per kg, with traders and agriculture officials attributing the spike to the intense summer heat that has disrupted production and supply in neighbouring Karnataka.


Goa relies heavily on Karnataka, particularly Belagavi, for tomato supplies, making the sunshine state vulnerable to fluctuations in production there.


Local vegetable vendor Sajid Sheikh said harsh weather conditions have severely affected tomato yields this season.


“Our suppliers from Belagavi have projected a very tough season. With a serious tomato shortage at their level, it would be difficult to accommodate enough tomatoes for local consumption in Goa,” Sheikh said.


Agriculture department officials said that tomatoes, typically cultivated as a rabi (winter) crop, are difficult to grow during peak summer due to high temperatures that damage flowering and reduce fruit formation.


Deputy director of agriculture, Dattaprasad Desai, said earlier attempts to cultivate tomatoes in the state using polyhouses were unsuccessful.


“High temperatures cause delicate tomato flowers to dry up, affecting fruit formation and reducing output. Previous attempts to grow tomatoes in Goa inside polyhouses proved fruitless, as the crop would begin to wilt,” Desai told TOI.


He further said that the state continues to depend on neighbouring states for supply, though experiments with tomato grafts are underway to improve local cultivation in the future.


“We have been experimenting with tomato grafts. However, it may take a while before we achieve self-sufficiency,” he said.


The tomato price rise has further strained household budgets amid an increase in vegetable prices during the summer season.


However, consumers are finding some relief at subsidised outlets operated by the Goa State Horticulture Corporation Limited (GSHCL), where tomatoes are being sold at Rs 42 per kg.