Tomato puree, ketchup demand shot up by 20-25%: Assocham

Amid rising tomato prices, the demand for tomato puree and ketchup has shot up by 20-25 per cent within two weeks as people have turned over to this quick-fix solution to keep their kitchen budget intact, says a survey.
About 72 per cent of middle income group and lower income group find it difficult to manage their household budget and due to the sudden rise in prices of vegetables like tomatoes, onions, ginger etc, the demand for tomato puree or ketchup has shot up by 20-25 per cent, according to an Assocham survey.
"The demands for tomato puree and ketchup, ginger-garlic pastes have gone up by 20-25 per cent due to high fluctuations in market prices of vegetables," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

Tomato prices have increased to Rs 65 per kg in Delhi from Rs 40 per kg, a month ago. The average prices of tomatoes across major cities have risen to Rs 55 per kg from Rs 30, a month ago. Similarly, onion prices have increased to Rs 37.52 per kg from Rs 36, a week-ago.