In a bid to curb concerns over escalating tomato prices, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a promising solution on Thursday.
She announced that tomatoes would be available at the affordable rate of ₹70 per kilogram in the Delhi-NCR region. This welcome news comes amidst rising worries over the surge in tomato prices that have been squeezing household budgets.
To achieve this feat, the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) will be spearheading the sale of tomatoes at a subsidized price this upcoming weekend.
The sourcing involves tomatoes from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, distributed through cooperatives like NCCF and NAFED. This approach, successful in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan since July 14, includes mobile vans as outlets.
To further address the issue, the Finance Minister noted that India has eased import restrictions on tomatoes from Nepal. This two-fold strategy aims to stabilize prices and ensure ample supply. The recent price surge, threatening to breach ₹300 per kg, was attributed to supply disruptions caused by heavy rainfall in major producing regions.