Starting tomorrow, residents of Chennai will get tomatoes at their ration shops at Rs 60 per kg. Currently, tomatoes are being sold between Rs 100 and Rs 130 at various places across the city.
The Tamil Nadu government took the decision after a review meeting by minister of cooperative K R Periyakuruppan. “From Tuesday, tomatoes will be sold at 82 public distribution shops (PDS) or ration shops across the city at Rs 60 per kg. In the coming days, apart from Chennai, tomatoes will be sold in all ration shops across the districts. Across the country, the prices of tomatoes have increased and we are taking steps to procure tomatoes directly from farmers and sell it at half the market price,” said Periyakaruppan.
“Although each year, during a particular season, the price of tomatoes reaches a record high, we will take steps to prevent such occurrences and hoarding in the future,” said the minister.
In recent days, tomatoes are selling above Rs 100 in several places with Tamil Nadu as well as in other states. “We have taken steps to sell tomatoes at half the market price in new farm-fresh veggie outlets across the state. As the vegetable is available at half the price, the stocks are sold within a few minutes on arrival in the 65-odd farm-fresh veggie outlets,” said the minister.
In the Koyambedu vegetable market, the main market in Chennai city, apart from tomatoes, green chillies have also touched a record high. “At present, green chillies are being sold at Rs 100 per kg as there is a drastic drop in the stock in the Koyambedu market,” said T Muthukumar, a wholesale trader in the market.
The city’s daily requirement of green chillies is around 200 tonnes. “The entire supply comes from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In the last week, the stock came down to 80 tonnes due to which the prices went up,” said Muthukumar.
He said farmers in Andhra Pradesh have switched to other crops in the recent times, the supply of green chillies is mostly from Karnataka.
Price of green peas have also increased and has touched Rs 280 per kg. “The demand has also come down with the increase in prices,” said Muthukumar.
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