Puree, paste demand up

livemint.com:

₹40 kg in June to more than ₹200 earlier his week in the capital. In fact, retail prices of perishables, especially vegetables, have risen steeply in northern India after heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, Mint reported earlier. As a result, vegetable prices have surged 25-100%; in some cases, consumers are facing a shortage of a variety of vegetables.

Meanwhile, Mother Dairy-backed frozen vegetable brand Safal which sells peas and vegetables, frozen sweet corn, and frozen jackfruit, said demand for its frozen vegetables has spiked. “There is a spike in Safal Tomato Puree and frozen vegetables in the last 15 days, registering a growth of 300% and 50%, respectively," said a company spokesperson at Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd.

A company spokesperson for FMCG company Dabur India Ltd said there is a surge in demand for its portfolio of Homemade cooking pastes and purees, including tomato puree and even ginger paste. Ginger prices touched ₹400 a kilo in Delhi this week. Such products are facing temporary supply challenges in various zip codes.

Last week, some outlets of fast food chain McDonald’s pulled tomatoes from their menus, citing a shortage of quality supplies of the fruit. Meanwhile, Saurabh Maheshwari, senior vice president at instant grocery startup Zepto, said consumers are reacting to a surge in vegetable prices by buying processed alternatives. “It has been interesting to see the impact of the surge in the price of tomatoes on other categories.