Shiban Khaibri
How is it that the juicy, sweet and red coloured vegetable – tomato – botanically known as a berry – selling at Rs.30 to 40 a kg, only a few days ago should at once have its retail price shot up, within two to three days, to more than Rs.240 at many places but generally be selling at between Rs.120 to Rs.150 a Kg. Not only that, it is to be believed that in Kolar in Congress ruled Karnataka – known as “Golden City of India”, a box of just 15 kgs of tomatoes was sold at Rs.2500 at its APMC Yard. It is noteworthy that Kolar has earned the distinction to have become a nerve- centre for tomato procurement for most of the parts of the country and has reportedly gained enough monopoly in pushing the prices in retail, to higher and higher levels . Though there are various factors for the price rise of vegetables normally during the rainy season but as much spike of a whooping nature of tomatoes smacks of other factors at play as well. So, not entirely in lighter tone, the apprehension of a ”conspiracy ” through tomatoes, to generate widespread disenchantment among the general public against the central Government, may not look as something to be wholly untenable. After all, for 2024 elections , no ”effort” is warranted to be spared to put in stockings the Modi led Government at the centre. We have not forgotten the role played by onions, the ”created” shortage of which resulted in the fall of Sushma Swaraj’s BJP Government in 1998, also impacting the then Rajasthan Government similarly. So, in addition to economic and commercial value , onions, potatoes and tomatoes in India have immense political / electoral connotations as well.
Not only that, bumper high prices of tomato has also in few cases, generated a ”janoon” or an obsession to commit crimes like theft in some fields growing the stuff to hijacking of a vehicle laden with tomatoes worth Rs.2 lakh (at current prices) in exchange of compensating hitting and causing minor damage to a vehicle coming in the opposite direction to murdering a farmer who having made a good fortune of Rs.30 lakh after selling tomatoes in Amravati in Maharashtra. There could be more instances of crime of different nature associated with selling this red but ”golden” vegetable . The fact of the matter is that vegetables like cauliflower, beans, knol khol, ridged gourd or Tori, spinach etc are also abnormally costlier than these should have otherwise been during this season. The Government especially in out UT is seen doing little to have a strict watch on the abnormal price fluctuations of vegetables. A commoner feels there is free for all syndrome in operation in price mechanism of vegetables and Government is practically doing nothing about it.
Vigorously struggling ”Mahaghatbandhan” has, therefore, got in hand a golden issue to embarrass the Government even though in their individual states , they are unable to solve the current tomato tangle. When for everything bad , Modi Government can be held responsible even for unprecedented deluge in Delhi, why not for tomato prices rise as well. It is no logic that in Tamil Nadu where there is non-BJP Government – the DMK with Congress support- , tomatoes should be available costing at 300% higher than the prices of last year regardless of the decision of the state Government in now selling the stuff at subsidised rates within a few days. How much of consumers and areas will be covered by such subsidised prices cannot be any difficult to be guessed.
What is the cost of the most sought after vegetable in non BJP states like in Punjab, Rajasthan, Kerala, Bihar, West Bengal , Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh etc must be fairly known to ascertain the reasons of an unprecedented high price rise. Cost of the stuff in most of these states is over Rs.100 a kg. However, the general factors leading to the present rise in the cost of tomatoes are — unprecedented rains in most parts of the country, devastation of crops caused by the Bipurjoy cyclone, disinterest in most of the farmers in growing the crop due to in many parts of the country realising not even the input cost last year , disruptions in supply chains , inclement weather conditions, artificial scarcity, hoarding, profiteering, progressively decreasing area of cultivation and total inaction of the respective administrations in keeping a follow up and close watch of Mandis where ”veglords” and wholesalers sell with impunity the vegetables at exorbitant prices. Beyond market forces of demand and supply , human intervention of holding back the produce and creating artificial scarcity leads to a slight push to retail cost which immediately in hours, accentuates to interplaying of a multiplying factor. That is why, we saw prices jumping in an extraordinary way. Anyway, the kitchen budget of an ordinary consumer gets topsy -turvy and one endures it silently but in the hope of a better tomorrow. However, though indications of the Government promising to resolve the problem within next few days , yet better tomorrow of cheap tomatoes remains elusive.
Governments of states or the central Government playing a patch work repair approach by introducing the element of subsidy is no permanent solution and how the logistical approach coupled with addressing market factors could bring about an improvement in the situation, should be thought of on a lasting basis. Why is it that when a problem exists or is allowed to get worse , only then the administrations wake up from a state of utter complacency in a matter that otherwise requires close monitoring as the issue is directly related to the people – consumers and their pockets. On the other hand, when there is scarcity of a product , we generally tend to develop a craving for it. During the current expectedly short period of “tomato crisis” , even those who would not ordinarily like to consume it , too , are pooh poohing over its escalated prices and would rather like to buy a bit of it even at higher prices . We have been otherwise witnessing, long queues of vehicles , as a general avoidable trend, to fill fuel tanks of our vehicles to the brim especially during any of very short term disruptions in supply of petrol or diesel and a few fuel pumps reporting to having gone dry momentarily as a consequence . It may be even for a few hours only.
Agreed, tomato is a vegetable with high nutritional value that is rich in Vitamins A, C, K and having anti oxidant properties is, however, generally bought for culinary purposes and , therefore, should be consumed regularly unless advised by a Doctor on the contrary, in isolated few cases. One would , therefore, ably argue that the best and the fittest way to instantly fight this monumental price rise is abstaining from , postponing or deferring or suspending the consumption thereof just for 10 days . This suggestion is not any hypothetical in nature but if employed by all uniformly, the item being highly perishable cannot be stored for more days , will result in its prices crashing down even to less than pre – escalation days’ levels. Do not wait for Government action but go in for direct action to teach those a lesson who sitting safely on a shore enjoy the storm in the sea. “Grahak Jago, Grahak Jago” should not be seen to be just an empty truism as there are various areas and fields in the pursuit of buying and purchasing where the ”Grahak” or the consumer really ought to wake up to exercise its right . We rarely do it and if sales of tomatoes are presently not picking up , that is primarily due to most of the people are not buying it . Late Lal Bahadur Shastri had advised us to miss a meal a week to tide over food shortage ; we do not take onions, tomatoes and garlic during Holy Navratra days for more than 10 days , why should we not do the same just for 10 days to ”teach” tomatoes to ”behave”. Results will be marvellous.
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