Image Source : FILE Tomato, onion, other vegetable prices fall by 40% in January.
In a big relief to consumers across the country, the prices of vegetables and staples such as tomato, potato, onion, rice and pulse have gone down by up to 40% in the first fortnight of 2025. This is primarily because of arrival of fresh produce helping temper wholesale market rates, better Kharif harvest, and increase in imports and a decline in international prices.
As per updates from the market, the prices of tomato have decreased by 40 per cent, potato by 16 per cent, onion by 33 per cent, and rice by 10-15 per cent. The development comes as the tromato arrivals have increased significantly from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, helping cool prices.
Ashok Kaushik, a member of the Delhi-based Azadpur Market Tomato Association, said the prices will remain stable in the market for some days. The retail prices of tomato have dropped from Rs 50 per kg in December to Rs 30-35 per kg.
The decrease if the vegetable prices will alleviate household budget pressures, following nearly two years of high food inflation. The updates comes at a time when the government data for December showed retail inflation fell to a four-month low of 5.22 per cent, driven by easing food prices.
Apart from the vegetables, the prices of pulses have also witnessed significant price drops, with tur and urad prices falling by 23 per cent and 10.5 per cent, respectively. Other pulses, including masoor, chana, split pea, and moong, have softened by 20-30 per cent.
Moreover, the prices of onion have also come down over the past 45 days, dropping 33 per cent in the last month, aided by increased availability of late Kharif onions.
In the meantime, the government has allowed duty-free imports of yellow peas, chana, tur, and urad to further stabilise pulse prices. Domestic harvests of toor and chana are also underway, increasing availability.
