Tomato, onion and potato prices have shot up across India over the past week, leaving consumers reeling. But farmers say they are not seeing any of the gains—their produce is fetching abysmally low prices, with some forced to dump crops rather than bear transport costs .
The price of tomatoes in Delhi almost doubled in a month, from ₹30 per kg on May 17 to ₹53 per kg on June 17. Onions rose ₹5 to ₹32 per kg in the same week. Potato prices have also climbed ₹3-5 per kg across major markets .
Retail up, farmgate down: the widening gap
The paradox is stark. Wholesale tomato prices surged 36% week-on-week and nearly 55% month-on-month, according to Agmarknet data . Yet farmer leader Ashok Dhawale of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said growers in potato-producing states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are getting as little as ₹2 or ₹3 per kg—while consumers pay ten times that .
“Who is gaining from this increase? The producing class does not gain, but the corporate houses in the retail trade and big traders are gaining,” Dhawale told The Hindu . He added that farmers in Maharashtra cannot even afford to transport onions and tomatoes to market after the fuel price hike .
What’s driving the price surge?
Tomatoes: Wholesale prices reached $33 per quintal, up nearly 59% year-on-year . Lower summer sowing, heat-related yield losses and supply tightness from key growing states are pushing prices up .
Onions: Wholesale prices rose 2.7% week-on-week and 17.9% month-on-month. A 5% decline in rabi production this year is expected to keep prices firm .
Potatoes: Despite a 4% week-on-week rise, prices remain 32% below June 2025 levels due to abundant supplies and strong production .
Crisil expects tomato prices to remain elevated through June-August, with potato and onion prices also trending upward as cold-storage stocks enter the market .
