Tomato prices in India: why they swing so much and how to follow them

What this guide covers

Tomato is the most volatile vegetable in Indian markets: prices can multiply in a few weeks and then collapse. This guide explains why, where tomatoes are grown and traded, what the mandi prices mean, and how to follow them across markets with live Agmarknet figures.

Where tomatoes come from

Tomatoes are grown in almost every state, but a few belts supply much of the country at different times of year: the Madanapalle area of Andhra Pradesh and Kolar in Karnataka in the south, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and others. Madanapalle and Kolar run some of the biggest tomato markets in the country, and their prices ripple out to cities far away.

Why tomato prices swing so much

Tomatoes spoil within days, so they cannot be stored the way onions or grains can. Whatever arrives in a market has to be sold quickly. When several regions harvest at the same time, markets are flooded and prices can fall below the cost of picking and transport. When heavy rain, heat or disease cuts supply, or when one region's season ends before the next begins, there is nothing in store to fill the gap, and prices jump.

The monsoon months are often the riskiest, because rain damages crops and disrupts transport, while the winter crop tends to bring prices down. These are common patterns, not rules; the table of cheaper and dearer months below shows what the data says for the markets we follow.

What the mandi price means

Markets report a minimum, maximum and modal price per quintal (100 kg); the modal price is what most of the day's tomatoes sold at. Ripeness, size, firmness and grading decide where a crate sells. We also show the price per kg (the quintal price divided by 100). Shop and vendor prices are higher because of sorting, losses, transport and margins.

Hybrid and local tomatoes

Most tomatoes in the big markets are hybrids, which are firm, uniform and survive long journeys; local (desi) varieties are softer and often sourer, and are mostly sold close to where they are grown. Agmarknet reports both, along with grades by size and ripeness, so one market can show very different prices for different lots on the same day. Our market pages follow each market's main variety, so its history stays comparable from day to day.

A year-round relay of growing regions

Because tomatoes cannot be stored, India's supply comes from a relay of growing regions. The southern belts around Madanapalle, Kolar and Chikkaballapur supply much of the year; Maharashtra (around Nashik and Narayangaon near Pune), Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat add large volumes in their seasons; and hill areas such as Solan in Himachal Pradesh supply northern cities in the summer and monsoon months, when the plains are too hot. When one region's harvest ends before the next begins, the gap shows up quickly as a price rise.

Tomatoes in Hyderabad and the Telugu states

Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh runs one of the country's largest tomato markets, and the Rayalaseema districts grow large amounts of tomatoes. Hyderabad draws its supply from there, from Karnataka and from farms in Telangana itself. Our Hyderabad vegetable page shows the latest tomato prices in the city's markets next to other vegetables.

The latest tomato prices

On 15 Oct, the median mandi price of tomato across the markets that reported it that day was ₹16.00 per kg; 182 markets reported it in the last 30 days. Our tomato page lists every state and market, with the lowest and highest prices and charts.

Week by week

Over the last 8 weeks, the weekly median price moved from ₹15.00 per kg (week ending 23 Aug 2026) to ₹17.50 per kg (week ending 11 Oct 2026), a change of +16.7%. Each figure is the median of every price that markets reported that week (Monday to Sunday).

Cheaper and dearer months

Across 8 full years of records between 2008 and 2025, tomato has usually been cheapest in February and dearest in July. The table shows how far each month's median has typically been above or below its year's average. It describes past patterns, not a forecast: a bad season or a bumper crop can break it.

How to read our tomato pages

The tomato page shows the median price across India, prices by state, the lowest and highest markets and a chart. Each market page follows its main variety with a 30-day table and history; every price shows the date it was reported, so an old price is never shown as today's.

Common questions

Why do farmers sometimes leave tomatoes unpicked or dump them? When many regions harvest at once, the mandi price can fall below the cost of picking, crating and transporting the fruit. Taking the crop to market would lose more money than leaving it, so some farmers do not send it at all.

When are tomatoes usually cheapest? In our records (8 full years between 2008 and 2025), tomato has usually been cheapest in February and dearest in July. A poor or bumper crop can change that in any one year.

Why is tomato in one market double the price of another? Distance from the growing areas, the variety and grade sold that day, and timing all matter. A market that traded only top-grade lots, or reported on a day of short supply, can look far dearer than its neighbours.

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