NEW DELHI: To control rising tomato prices in the retail market in the festive season, the government on Monday flagged off vans selling the kitchen essential at Rs 65/kg. The government aims to benefit consumers in various locations across the country, providing them with a more affordable option for this essential commodity.
The tomato price in the retail market is shooting beyond the roof and has spoiled the mood of consumers. The retail price of tomatoes has gone beyond Rs 100 per kg in open retail markets in various cities.
Nidhi Khare, secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, flagged off National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) vans selling tomatoes at cheaper rates.
Weeks back, the price of tomatoes in the retail market was around Rs 40 which shot up to Rs 60 a week ago and in the past few days, the retail price has crossed Rs 100. Experts say the delay in monsoon retreat causing heavy rain in tomato growing areas and disease manifestations has affected the supply of tomatoes.
“The NCCF has initiated a market intervention by directly procuring tomatoes from mandis and selling them at a subsidized rate of Rs.65/kg,” said Khare.
“The intervention is to protect consumers from recent increase in tomato prices and prevent windfall gains for intermediaries. NCCF is also continuously supplying onions from the government buffer at Rs 35 per kg to retail consumers in major cities across the country,” said.
The senior government official said the retail price of tomatoes has seen an unwarranted increase in recent weeks despite continuous arrival in mandis in good quantities.
“Rains and high humidity due to prolonged monsoon in major producing states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are reported to have led to quality concerns in recent weeks.
The possible role of market intermediaries in the current price rise in this high demand festive season may not be ruled out,” said the official.
“By directly engaging with farmers and offering tomatoes at a discounted rate, the organization is playing a crucial role in mitigating the impact of price fluctuations on consumers,” said Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary & MD NCCF.
Directly buying from mandis
The NCCF has initiated a market intervention by directly procuring tomatoes from mandis and selling them at a subsidized rate, said Nidhi Khare, secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs. “The intervention is to protect consumers from recent increase in prices and prevent windfall gains for intermediaries.
