when its ripe and red it makes other vegetables turn green with envy as for the mood of the moment it is the pricey flavour of the season if the delhi veggies table has had a pet peeve over these past few weeks its to do with the going rate for tomatoes in the metros market as a vegetable which is basic to the kitchen capers of most households the tomato is a must the only hiccup is that the exorbitant rates accompanying the vegetable are making the consumer go bust i fail to understand how the price of an essential vegetable such as the tomato is allowed to fluctuate so much buying tomatoes for rs 2530 a kg is rather absurd maintains anu sharma a housewife in hauz khas unseasonal rainfall has led to this seasons tomato crop coming a cropper this statement seemingly unites the voices of a fair proportion of vegetablevendors there is practically nothing that we can do if the rates have skyrocketed its because the supply of tomatoes is scarce offers sooraj a vegetablevendor in hauz khas however ramesh kumar who retails his wares in green park contends that prices have evened out ever since the capitals stock of tomatoes has been replenished by imports from bangalore and mumbai there was a time when tomatoes had hit the rs 40akg mark fortunately prices have taken a marginal dip since then he offers adding a twist to the tale is tejinder singh the general secretary of the food merchants association at the azadpur wholesale market the entire problem is the creation of retailers wholesale prices have not changed one bit at the azadpur mandi we feel frustrated when we see the 10kg boxes of tomatoes procured from us for rs 80120 being sold by retailers at astronomical prices this practice needs to be stopped instantly it is high time the city government regulated the retail prices of fruits and vegetables available in the market says singh if the soaring priceline of onions led to problems a plenty for political circles at one point of time the tomato threat looms large in todays time whether it is the handiwork of unscrupulous retailers or a shortage in supply the bottom line remains constant if the tomato is in the red the customer has reason to see red this season after all the way to a mans heart is through his stomach and not through a hole in his pocket