News and Articles

• National tomato average settled near 2,160 rupees per quintal on August 25 across 676 mandis
• Nagaland recorded the highest state average at 5,000 rupees per quintal, Maharashtra the lowest at 1,147
• Nashik handled 2,906 quintals at an average of 1,405 rupees, Kolar 2,470 quintals at 860 rupees
• Late monsoon rains kept southern and western supplies steady, pulling farm gate values lower
• Food processors and QSR chains gained a short buying window for paste and processing fruit

Indian tomato mandis reported firm arrivals and a wide price spread through the last week of August 2026, with the national average settling near 2,160 rupees per quintal across the main wholesale yards on August 25. Data compiled from 676 regulated markets in 25 states showed sharp regional gaps, with growers in Nagaland receiving as much as 5,000 rupees per quintal while Maharashtra farmers had to accept just 1,147 rupees. The gap between the highest and lowest state averages widened to about 3,853 rupees, one of the largest of the year.

Trading volume at the leading mandis remained heavy. Nashik in Maharashtra reported arrivals of about 2,906 quintals with an average of 1,405 rupees per quintal, while Kolar in Karnataka handled 2,470 quintals at 860 rupees. Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, closer to the consuming markets of the National Capital Region, held above the national average at 2,698 rupees per quintal with lighter arrivals. The pattern showed a familiar split between producing regions in the south and west, where fresh harvests are pushing farm gate values lower, and northern consuming zones where fruit still has to travel long distances.

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Weather and crop timing shaped the divergence. Late monsoon rains in Karnataka and Maharashtra helped extend the summer harvest, keeping supply to major APMC yards steady. In hill state Nagaland and parts of the northeast, thin production and higher logistics costs kept mandi prices close to five times those in western India. Traders in Delhi and Mumbai reported softer wholesale offers through the week, though retail prices held up as small shops passed through only part of the correction.

For procurement teams in the food processing, ketchup, sauce, and quick service restaurant categories, the August window has opened a short buying opportunity for paste grade and processing fruit from Maharashtra and Karnataka. Bulk purchase managers should also track freight, since the Nashik to Delhi truck rate movement will decide how much of the current mandi weakness reaches consumer city markets. Contract farming programs may see growers push for higher assured floor prices for the winter cycle if current arrival prices stay under 1,500 rupees per quintal in the main states.

The near term outlook depends on the pace of festival demand and the health of the coming winter crop. If arrivals from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat pick up in September, wholesale averages could soften further and give food companies and modern trade chains more room to lock in October cover. A shortfall in fresh planting because of unseasonal rains would tighten the picture and lift wholesale offers back above 2,500 rupees per quintal by mid October.