Govt Says Tomato Prices Will Cool Down in Next 15 Days; Normalise in a Month

NEW DELHI: Tomato prices are expected to decline in the next 15 days as supplies from production centers increase and reach a normal level within a month, a senior government official said, as retail prices of kitchen staples soared more than 100 rupees per kg in major cities.

Consumer Affairs Minister Rohit Kumar Singh, in a briefing, said retail prices of tomatoes in the national capital would drop immediately as supplies from Solan and Sirmore districts of Himachal Pradesh improve.

The phenomenon of rising tomato prices occurs every year at this time. Every agricultural commodity in every country goes through seasonality in the price cycle. In June, prices reached a high level,” he added. Tomatoes are also a highly perishable commodity, and poor weather, which has become prevalent in recent times due to climate change and other issues, has disrupted supplies. He further said, “You cannot stockpile tomatoes.” for a long time and transported over long distances. There is an inherent weakness in the commodity. Transportation is also a big problem.” He said June, August, October and November are weak production seasons and prices usually increase sharply during this period.

He said the average retail price of tomatoes in India on June 29 was ruling at Rs 49 per kg as against Rs 51.50 per kg on the same day last year, and added, “I don’t justify the price. This also proves seasonality.” Pointing out that it is a complex issue. , said the minister, but the government is dealing with it and finding a solution to streamline supplies throughout the year. And for that, the Grand Tomato Challenge was launched on Friday. It is like he said a hackathon where ideas are invited from students to industry stakeholders on primary processing, storage and valuation of tomatoes. According to data maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average retail price of tomatoes on an all-India basis is Rs. 56.58 per kg on June 30. Typical price is 100 rupees per kg while the maximum price is 123 rupees per kg.

Retail price of tomatoes in Delhi is Rs 80 per kg, Mumbai (Rs 48 per kg), Kolkata (Rs 105 per kg) and Chennai (Rs 88 per kg). Among other major cities, the prices were 54 rupees per kg in Bengaluru, 100 rupees per kg in Bhopal and Lucknow each, 80 rupees per kg in Shimla, 98 rupees per kg in Bhubaneshwar and 99 rupees per kg in Raipur.

(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)