Seeking to provide relief to consumers from skyrocketing tomato prices, the Centre on Friday began selling tomatoes in Delhi-NCR and Patna at a discounted rate of Rs 90 per kg, while it will start retailing in Lucknow and Kanpur from Saturday.
National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) are selling tomatoes on behalf of the Centre.
For the last few weeks, the retail price of tomatoes has risen sharply and was ruling as high as Rs 244 per kg on Friday across major cities owing to the lean season plus heavy rains.
Tomatoes are being sold to consumers in Delhi-NCR and Patna at a discounted rate through mobile vans.
”Tomorrow, we are starting (the sale of discounted tomatoes) in Lucknow and Kanpur. We propose to replicate the same strategy there also. 15 mobile vans in Lucknow and 15 in Kanpur,” Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI.
In Delhi-NCR, he said mobile vans will be placed at 20 locations.
”About 80 per cent of 17,000 kg tomatoes were sold till evening. We will increase the reach and the quantity from tomorrow onwards in Delhi-NCR,” NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra told PTI.
The response was good and in some places, there was a queue for buying the discounted tomatoes, she said.
About 20 mobile vans were despatched in areas such as Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Pusa Road, CGO Complex, Nehru Place, Govind Lal Shika Marg, Adarsh Nagar, JJ Slum at Wazirpur, and Dhodhapur Shivmandir.
In Noida, three mobile vehicles were despatched to Noida Sector- 78 and Pari Chowk near Greater Noida, she added.
Chandra said, ”We are selling tomatoes of ’A’ grade export quality. The quantity will be increased to more than 20,000 kg from tomorrow.” From Sunday onwards, NCCF will also start selling tomatoes through 100-odd Kendra Bhandar outlets in the national capital, she said, and added, ”Till the prices stabilise, the discount sale of tomatoes will continue.” NCCF is also in talks with Mother Dairy about the sale of tomatoes at discounted rates through their 400-odd Safal retail outlets in Delhi-NCR, she added.
On the other hand, NAFED also began selling tomatoes at a discounted rate of Rs 90 per kg in Patna, Bihar.
”A truckload of 20 tonnes of tomatoes reached Patna today. We are selling at a government fixed rate of Rs 90 per kg there,” NAFED Chairman Bijendra Singh said.
The cooperative has procured tomatoes at Rs 115 per kg from the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. ”It is costing a total of Rs 121 per kg for transportation of tomatoes to Patna. About Rs 6 per kg extra is being incurred due to cartage and others,” he said.
The losses are borne by the central government.
As per the government data, the average all-India retail price of tomatoes was ruling at Rs 116.76 per kg on Friday, while the maximum rate was Rs 244 per kg and the minimum was Rs 40 per kg.
Among metros, tomatoes were ruling costlier at Rs 178 per kg in Delhi, followed by Rs 147 per kg in Mumbai, Rs 145 per kg in Kolkata and Rs 132 per kg in Chennai on Thursday.
Tomato prices normally shoot up during July-August and October-November periods, which are generally lean production months.
Supply disruption caused due to monsoon has led to a sharp rise in the rates.
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