Tomatoes continued to be high on prices at up to Rs 250 per kilogram in major cities due to the combination of monsoon rains and the lean season. Government data reveals that the average price across India currently stands at approximately Rs 117 per kg.
In order to alleviate the burden on retail customers, the central government has introduced a discounted rate of Rs 90 per kg for tomatoes in select cities such as Delhi-NCR, Patna, and Lucknow. According to a media house, around 18,000 kgs of tomatoes were sold in Delhi-NCR on Saturday through mobile vans.
To facilitate the sale of tomatoes, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) are operating mobile vans on behalf of the government.
In a tweet, Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said, “In addition to various parts of Delhi and Noida, sale of tomatoes at discounted rates started today at Lucknow, Patna, and Muzaffarpur.”
According to an official statement from the Department of Consumer Affairs, their efforts appear to have yielded results, as there was a significant decrease in the wholesale price at Azadpur Mandi, accompanied by a slight decline in the retail price today.
The department stated that they had commenced a sale in Lucknow, where 7,000 kg of tomatoes were sold. They further mentioned their plans to intervene in the retail market in Kanpur the following day, while also continuing their interventions in Delhi and Lucknow, according to the media house.
Starting from Sunday, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) has planned to distribute tomatoes through approximately 100 Kendriya Bhandar outlets in the national capital. Additionally, discussions are underway with Mother Dairy to sell tomatoes through its 400 Safal retail outlets in Delhi-NCR.
Government data indicates that the average retail price of tomatoes across India stood at Rs 116.86 per kg on Saturday. The highest recorded price was Rs 250 per kg, while the lowest was Rs 25 per kg. The most common price observed for tomatoes was Rs 100 per kg.
Among the major cities, Delhi had the highest price for tomatoes at Rs 178 per kg, followed by Mumbai at Rs 150 per kg, and Chennai at Rs 132 per kg. The maximum price of Rs 250 per kg was reported in Hapur.
Tomato prices typically rise during the months of July-August and October-November, which are characterised by lower production. Disruptions in supply caused by the monsoon have contributed to a significant surge in prices.
