High tomato prices upsurges demand for puree, ketchup by 40%

With the soaring tomato prices going up to up to Rs 100 per kg, households have found a way to include tomatoes in their meals without paying the price.

Demand for tomato puree and ketchup has shot up by 40% within one month, a survey by ASSOCHAM stated. 

About 78% of households find difficult to manage their household budget and squeezing families' finances to the lowest level due to sudden rise in price of tomatoes, pulses, according survey by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) revealed.

The government has estimated the country’s tomato output at 18.28 million tonnes in 2015-16 ‘crop yea’ which is June and July.

This has risen a whopping 1.9 million tonnes since last year’s production.

The survey was conducted in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, in which more than 1500 housewives took part. 

According to survey, the local grocers have increased their stock of tomato puree/ketchup. 

Prices have gone up because of tight supply from the major growing states of the south including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.

The survey also revealed that about 56% of the respondents have curtailed the use of tomatoes and prefer dishes which do not require much use of tomatoes.

In the past month, tomato prices have almost doubled owing to damaged rabi crops.