India: Tomato prices rise sharply across key markets as supplies tighten

• Tomato prices increased across five of six tracked markets during the week ended October 5, with the steepest gains recorded in Ahilyanagar and Indore
• Southern markets continued to report the highest price levels, led by Kolar at INR 3,690/qtl, while Nashik and Chittoor remained relatively stable

Tomato prices showed a mixed-to-firm trend across major markets, with Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh witnessing notable weekly gains, while southern markets continued to trade at higher absolute levels. According to BigMint data, the price gap between producing regions highlights uneven supply conditions across the country.

Tomato prices strengthen across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

According to BigMint data, tomato prices recorded a broad upward movement across key markets during the week ended October 5. Ahilyanagar witnessed the steepest increase, with prices rising to INR 2,562/qtl from INR 1,417/qtl on September 29, an increase of around 81% w-o-w.
Indore followed with prices rising nearly 73% to INR 2,542/qtl, compared with INR 1,470/qtl a week earlier. In Pune, prices increased by around 36% to INR 2,072/qtl from INR 1,527/qtl.

Southern markets maintain higher price levels

According to BigMint data, southern markets continued to trade at higher levels than most western and central markets. Kolar recorded the highest price among the six tracked markets at INR 3,690/qtl, up nearly 16% from INR 3,185/qtl a week earlier.
Meanwhile, Chittoor prices remained almost unchanged at INR 3,197/qtl, compared with INR 3,195/qtl on September 29. Despite the limited weekly movement, Chittoor continued to maintain a significant price premium over most of the tracked markets.

Nashik prices remain stable

Nashik tomato prices remained unchanged at INR 2,317/qtl during the week ended October 5, according to BigMint data. However, prices were still higher than the INR 2,070/qtl recorded on September 22, indicating that the market has retained its earlier gains.
The contrasting movements across markets point to uneven regional supply conditions. While prices strengthened sharply in Ahilyanagar, Indore and Pune, southern markets continued to operate at comparatively elevated level

Outlook

According to BigMint data, the broad-based increase in tomato prices indicates continued firmness across several key markets. Price direction in the near term will depend on fresh arrivals and regional supply availability. Markets such as Ahilyanagar, Indore and Pune could remain firm if arrivals stay constrained, while stable prices in Nashik and Chittoor may depend on the pace of fresh supplies.