Ajay Kedia, a Mumbai-based commodity market expert and head of Kedia Advisory said, "This year, for a variety of reasons, fewer tomatoes were sown than in prior years. As the price of beans surged last year, many farmers switched to growing beans this year. However, a lack of monsoon rains has caused the crops to dry out and wilt. The limited supply of vegetables, particularly tomatoes are due to crop damage caused by heavy rainfall and extreme heat"

Mohammad Raju, a resident of Delhi said, "Tomato is being sold at a price of Rs 80 per kg. The rate has suddenly shot up in the past two-three days." According to him, the sudden increase in price is due to heavy rainfall. "Rain has destroyed tomatoes," added Mohammad Raju

Tomato prices have also skyrocketed in the southern state of Karnataka and its capital city Bengaluru as incessant rains have damaged the crop and made transportation difficult

In Pic: A tomato vendor in New Delhi

Tomato, sold at Rs 40 to 50 per kg a week ago in the UP's Kanpur market is now being sold at Rs 100 per kg while in Delhi it is being sold at Rs 80 per Kg

According to the database maintained by the Price Monitoring Division under the Department of Consumer Affairs, per kilo tomato on an average rose from Rs 25 to Rs 41 in retail markets. Maximum prices of tomatoes in retail markets were in the range between Rs 80-113. The rates of staple vegetables were in tune with the rise in their prices in wholesale markets, which jumped about 60-70 per cent on an average in June