Onion, tomato production likely to decline in 2022-23, shows data

Prices of tomato touch Rs 100/kg in some places due to rains, heatwave

India’s tomato and onion production in  2022-23 could be lower  than the previous year, while potato output is expected to be 6.34 per cent more,  reveal the first Advance Estimates of horticulture production released on Monday.

The dip in tomato production notwithstanding, prices in the retail markets have started surging in the past few days.
 

In some retail markets, prices have even touched Rs. 80-100 per kilogram (kg), while in the wholesale markets, the rates are in the range of Rs. 50-60 per kg. Tomato is produced multiple times a year at several places and is particularly prone to transportation delays and heat. Traders said the spike in rates was mainly due to extended summers in some of the main growing regions, coupled with delays in transportation due to sudden bursts of showers.
 

Meanwhile, the horticulture data showed that vegetable production in 2022-23 is expected to be about 212.53 million tonnes (mt), which is 1.62 per cent more than the 209.14 mt of production last year. Fruit production in 2022-23 is expected to be about 107.75 mt, which is more than 107.51 mt in 2021-22.
 

The government said the total horticulture production was estimated to be at a new record of 350.87 mt — a rise of about 1.06 per cent over 2021-22. This will mean that horticulture production will again be significantly higher than the foodgrain output in 2022-23.