Tomatoes turn costlier than apples at Himachal Pradesh's Solan market

Tomatoes were sold at ₹ 800 to ₹ 900 per crate in the beginning of the season in Himachal Pradesh's Solan, but today it is being sold at ₹ 1800 to ₹ 2,300 per crate. Last year, tomatoes sold in the range of ₹ 500 to ₹ 1700 per crate here. Failure of crops due to rains in Bengaluru and other major markets pushed up demand at Himachal mandis. Apples are also sole at higher prices due to fall in production.

Solan (Himachal Pradesh) : As soon as the month of July started in Himachal Pradesh, the apple season has also started. But Tomato season started just a bit early, that is in the month of June. Normally, apples are sold at higher prices that tomatoes. But now in the market, tomatoes are more expensive than apples. Tomatoes are being sold at ₹90 to ₹95 per kg, while apples are being sold at ₹70 to ₹80 per kg.

Apple is considered the main contributor to Himachal's economy, but this time it can be said that tomato is also playing an important role in promoting Himachal's economy. Tomato farmers are getting better prices as production came down significantly this season due to incessant rains. In the beginning of the season, tomato was sold at ₹ 800 to ₹ 900 per crate, but today it is being sold at ₹ 1800 to ₹ 2,300 per crate in the vegetable market. Last year, tomatoes sold in the range of ₹ 500 to ₹ 1700 per crate.

A shortage of tomatoes is reported in the country's major mandis of Bengaluru, Rajasthan and Haryana. In such a situation, Himachal's hill tomatoes are meeting the demand of these big mandis. Due to increase in supply here, farmers are also getting better prices for it. However, due to high demand, there has been an increase in the prices of tomatoes.

Arun Parihar and Kishore Kumar, agents of Sabzi Mandi, Solan, say that the tomato season is good here this season. Due to rains, tomatoes from Bengaluru are not able to reach in big mandis across the country. Because of which tomatoes are being supplied to those big mandis from Himachal. For the coming 2 weeks, farmers are going to get prices ranging from ₹ 1800 to ₹ 2300 per crate.

On the other hand, the government is claiming that this time farmers and gardeners will get better prices for apple crops. At the beginning of the apple season, farmers are getting ₹ 70 to ₹ 80 per kg of apples. According to the grading, apples are being taken in the mandis. Due to rains this time in Himachal Pradesh, the apple production has also come down.

Hence, the gardeners are betting better prices for apples. Last year, apples were sold in the market starting from ₹ 900 per box to ₹ 3000, but this time apples are being taken in the market on the basis of kgs. For the first time in Himachal Pradesh, apples are being sold according to their weight. This is benefitting the gardeners.