Government cuts price of subsidised tomato to INR 70 per kg

NEW DELHI — The Union government has reduced prices of subsidised tomatoes to INR 70 per kilogramme from Thursday from INR 80 per kg now to provide relief to common man from high retail prices.

The Centre is selling tomatoes to people at a subsidised rate of INR 80 a kg in Delhi-NCR and some other key cities through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).

The all-India average retail prices of tomatoes is ruling at nearly 120 per kg, although the key kitchen item is selling as high as INR 245 per kg at some places. In the national capital, the rate has come down to INR 120 per kg.

“The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed NCCF and NAFED to sell tomatoes at retail price of INR 70 per kg rate from July 20, 2023 in view of the declining trend in tomato prices,” an official statement said.

The tomatoes procured by NCCF and NAFED had been retailed, initially, at INR 90 per kg and then reduced to INR 80 per kg from July 16 2023, it added.

“The reduction to INR 70 per kg will further benefit the consumers,” the statement said.

On the government’s direction, NCCF and NAFED had commenced the procurement of tomato from mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra for simultaneous disposal in major consumption centres where retails prices have recorded maximum increase in last one month.

“The retail sale of tomatoes in Delhi-NCR had started from July 14, 2023. Till July 18, 2023, a total of 391 tonnes of tomato had been procured by the two agencies which are being continuously disposed of to the retail consumers in major consumption centres of Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” the statement said.

As per the data compiled by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the all-India average retail price of tomato is INR 119.29 per kg on Wednesday.

The maximum retail price is INR 245 per kg, while the minimum retail price is INR 40 per kg and the modal price is INR 120 per kg.

Tomato prices in the retail markets of the national capital have declined to an average INR 120 per kg on Thursday from INR 178 per kg on Sunday.

Among other metros, tomatoes were selling at INR 155 per kg in Mumbai, INR 132 per kg in Chennai and INR 143 per kg in Kolkata.

Tomato prices normally shoot up during July-August and October-November periods, which are generally lean production months.

Supply disruption caused due to the monsoon has led to a sharp rise in the rates of tomatoes.