India trades grains for imported tomatoes from Nepal

India has started importing tomatoes from its neighbor, Nepal, in an effort to ease the burden of skyrocketing tomato costs. Cities like Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur will get the first shipment of these goods on Friday.

This information was delivered at a Thursday parliamentary session by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This statement follows price increases in India that broke all previous records, notably for tomatoes.

 

Sitharaman provided more details, indicating that Tur dal is being sent to India by Mozambique and Urad dal would be arriving from Myanmar. A buffer stock of almost three lakh tonnes of onions also exists.

 

 

The price of tomatoes has surged, rising by an astounding 1,400% in wholesale marketplaces. Over the last three months, this price per kilogram has reached an all-time high of 140 rupees ($1.69). Farmers blame a viral epidemic that affected the harvest, low rainfall, high temperatures, and other causes for the price increase.

 

Sitharaman agreed that it was important to make sure that customers could buy tomatoes. She promised that they will be sold in Delhi-NCR at a discounted price of 70 rupees per kilogram.

 

“In order to permit goods from Nepal, we have loosened import regulations. Many actions have been made to reduce inflation. In a Lok Sabha discussion on a no-confidence motion, Sitharaman said, “A group of ministers (GoM) has been proactive in taking efforts to reduce growing costs, which are harming the general public.

 

Officials from Nepal’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies said that they had asked India to swap tomatoes for 1 million tonnes of paddy, 100,000 tonnes of rice, and 50,000 tonnes of sugar.

 

It’s crucial to remember that since July 20, India has prohibited the import of non-basmati rice in order to protect its food supplies from anticipated El Nio weather disruptions.

 

In view of this situation, Nepal has officially requested that the Indian government take into account suspending grain and sugar imports to Nepal, particularly in light of the upcoming holiday season.