To help the average person from paying high retail rates, the Union government has decreased the cost of subsidised tomatoes from Rs 80 per kilogram to Rs 70 per kilogram as of Thursday.
Through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), the Centre is selling tomatoes to the public at a discounted cost of Rs 80 per kg in Delhi-NCR and some other important cities.
Although the essential culinary commodity may sometimes be purchased for as much as Rs 245 per kg, the average retail price of tomatoes throughout India is now at Rs 120 per kg. The price has decreased to Rs 120 per kilogram in the capital.
In light of the downward trend in tomato prices, the Department of Consumer Affairs ordered NCCF and NAFED to start selling tomatoes at a retail price of Rs 70 per kg on July 20, 2023.
According to the statement, the tomatoes purchased by NCCF and NAFED were first sold for Rs 90 per kg before being marked down to Rs 80 per kg as of July 16, 2023.
The statement said, “The reduction to Rs 70 per kg will further benefit the consumers.”
To begin procuring tomatoes from mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra for simultaneous distribution in key consumption centers where retail prices have seen the greatest rise in the last month, NCCF and NAFED followed the government’s instructions.
“Starting on July 14, 2023, tomatoes were sold in Delhi-NCR at retail prices. A total of 391 tonnes of tomatoes were purchased by the two agencies up till July 18, 2023, and they are continually being distributed to retail customers in important consumption hubs in Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, according to the announcement.
The Department of Consumer Affairs’ statistics shows that on Wednesday, the average retail price of tomatoes throughout all of India is Rs 119.29 per kg.
While the lowest retail price is Rs 40 per kilogram and the median price is Rs 120 per kg, the highest retail price is Rs 245 per kg.
From Rs 178 per kg on Sunday, the average price of tomatoes in the capital’s retail marketplaces has dropped to Rs 120 per kg on Thursday.
Tomatoes were selling for Rs 155 per kg in Mumbai, Rs 132 in Chennai, and Rs 143 in Kolkata, among other major cities.
The months of July through August and October through November, which are typically months of low output, are when tomato prices often soar.
The monsoon’s impact on supply has produced a dramatic increase in tomato prices.