India Tomato Market: Drought Results To Low Produce, Tomato-Based Curry To Be Forgotten?

The Pimpalgaon Baswant, a village located in western India, has not experienced rain for quite some time. The village is in crucial need of rain for the famous Pimpalgaon tomato market to continue to flourish.

The India tomato market is the biggest market in Asia and one of the prime ingredients of Indian curry dishes. A worker in the Pimpalgaon tomato market, Shiek Tanveer, reported that there are 75 percent fewer tomatoes than the standard produce. Due to its scarce harvest, the tomatoes that are normally sold for 10 rupees per kilogram are now being sold for 10 rupees per 150 grams.

India's tomato prices have multiplied a number of times since April causing a national awareness. Due to long droughts and early monsoon season, it has disturbed the harvest cycle. The rising prices in India makes extreme differences to both family budgets and farmers who rely solely on the sales of vegetables.

Based on national trade association, Assocham, several restaurants stopped using tomato-based cuisines while tomato sauce and ketchup prices continuously increase by 40 Percent, Times of India reported.

Popat Khaire, a farmer from Pimpalgaon, said that he has never seen such a bad harvest. The weather is so hot that there are no crops growing. Popat usually gets good profits for his tomatoes, but this year was the worst loss ever. He claims that the fields are ready, but he is waiting for the rain to come.

Another farmer, Santosh Zute, says that the tomatoes that have been planted came out small and black, making it inedible. He states that he is losing about 5,000 rupees a day because of the drought.

Indian government's rise and fall have been linked to the increased prices of vegetables. It is thought that the high prices of onions during 1998, was the deciding factor for state elections in Delhi and Rajasthan, NY Times reported.