NEW DELHI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The price of tomatoes continues to rise across India even as the commodity was being sold at the rate of 155 Indian Rupees (1.89 U.S. dollars) per kg in the eastern state of West Bengal, the highest in the country, said media reports on Wednesday.
The commodity was available in the country at around 20 Indian Rupees (24 U.S. cents) per kg till a couple of weeks ago.
But the production shortages, extreme heat wave conditions in some parts of the country, and delayed arrival of the monsoon in various parts of the country are being cited as the reasons behind the skyrocketing prices.
The data by the consumer affairs ministry showed that the average all-India retail price was 83.29 Indian Rupees (1 dollar) per kg, with a modal price of 100 Indian Rupees (1.22 dollars) per kg, according to media reports.
Over the last two weeks, vegetable supplies have been disrupted from tomato-growing states, where harvesting and transportation have been affected. The damage to crops from the heavy rains has also affected the price.
Meanwhile, the federal government maintained that the current spike in tomato prices was a "seasonal phenomenon," and it will likely come down in the next 15 days and normalize in a month. ■