The Centre on Friday announced the subsidised retail sale price of tomatoes in the range of Rs 47-60 per kg in the national capital through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), to provide relief to buyers.
The Centre on Friday announced the subsidised retail sale price of tomatoes in the range of Rs 47-60 per kg in the national capital through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), to provide relief to buyers.
NCCF Sells 27,307 kg at Subsidised Rates
The NCCF, which has been procuring tomatoes from Azadpur mandi since August 4, is retailing them with minimal margins, the consumer affairs ministry said.
“To date, NCCF has sold 27,307 kilograms of tomatoes at retail prices ranging from Rs 47 to Rs 60 per kg, depending on the procurement cost,” the ministry stated.
Retail Outlets and Mobile Vans in Key Locations
Retail sales are being conducted through NCCF’s stationary outlets at Nehru Place, Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk, and Rajiv Chowk, as well as through 6-7 mobile vans operating at various locations across the city.
A similar initiative was undertaken by NCCF in previous years as well. The ministry said tomato prices have spiked temporarily in Delhi due to rains, but the all-India average remains stable.
Rain-Related Disruption Pushes Prices to ₹85/kg
The current average retail price of tomatoes in Delhi at Rs 73 per kg is primarily due to heavy rainfall in northern and north-western regions since the last week of July.
“This weather-related disruption caused prices to spike to as high as Rs 85 per kg by the end of July,” the ministry said in a statement.
Prices Begin to Stabilise as Arrivals Recover
However, with the recovery and stabilisation of daily arrivals at Azadpur mandi over the past week, both mandi and retail prices have begun to decline.
The retail prices at various centres across the country are influenced by temporary localised factors rather than any fundamental demand-supply imbalance or production shortfall, the ministry noted.
No Price Surge in Chennai or Mumbai
In contrast, major cities such as Chennai and Mumbai, which have not experienced abnormal weather conditions in recent weeks, have not witnessed a similar price surge.
The current average retail prices in Chennai and Mumbai are Rs 50 per kg and Rs 58 per kg, respectively – substantially lower than Delhi’s prevailing price.