Tomato price surge: cooling down with fresh arrival says govt

The government has announced that tomato prices in retail markets have dropped to the range of Rs 50-70 per kilogram due to the arrival of fresh crops. This comes as a relief after tomato prices had surged to as high as Rs 250 per kg due to unseasonal rains.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh stated that the decrease in prices is due to the increased supply of fresh tomatoes, especially from states like Madhya Pradesh. To further stabilize prices, the government plans to continue selling tomatoes at discounted rates until prices return to a more normal level.

Cooperatives NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd) have already started selling tomatoes at a reduced rate of Rs 40 per kilogram since August 20. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to mitigate the impact of rising prices on consumers. These cooperatives have been selling tomatoes on behalf of the Consumer Affairs Ministry to address the price surge.

The initial subsidized rate for tomatoes was set at Rs 90 per kilogram but has been progressively lowered to match the declining market prices. Additionally, efforts have been made to boost domestic tomato supply by importing them from Nepal, which has contributed to the stabilization of prices in the market.