Tomato prices are skyrocketing and continue to burn holes in the common man’s pocket, but there could be soon some relief for the residents of Delhi NCR as the centre has decided to provide it at a discounted price, starting this week.
The fresh stocks at a discounted price will be available for consumers from this week, said a government statement.
Tomato prices are skyrocketing and continue to burn holes in the common man’s pocket, but there could be soon some relief for the residents of Delhi NCR as the centre has decided to provide it at a discounted price, starting this week.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has asked National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation and National Cooperative Consumers Federation to procure tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra and distribute them in areas that have recorded the biggest jump in tomato rates.
The fresh stocks at a discounted price will be available for consumers from this week, said a government statement.
The places where these fresh stocks will be released have been identified on the basis of absolute hikes in retail prices over the past month, the government said.
The southern and western regions account for 60 per cent of the country’s total tomato production while it is also produced in nearly every Indian state. Their surplus produce is then used to ensure continued supply to other parts of India.
Currently, the supplies coming to markets in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and some other states are mostly from Maharashtra, especially Satara, Narayangaon, and Nashik, which are expected to last till this month-end.
“Southern and Western regions being surplus states, feed to other markets depending on production seasons. The production seasons are also different across regions. The peak harvesting season occurs from December to February,” the ministry report said.
The arrivals of tomatoes are mainly from Himachal Pradesh and some quantity comes from Kolar in Karnataka. Unseasonal rains in May and June in tomato-producing states are the main reason which led to the damage of the widespread crop and the ongoing monsoon has disrupted the supply and pushed the prices upwards, making it unaffordable for the economy class of the Indian population.