Tomato prices surge up to Rs 250 kg, Centre selling at Rs 90 kg in Delhi-NCR, Patna and Lucknow

Due to monsoon rains and the lean season, tomato prices in retail markets across major cities remained elevated on Saturday, reaching up to Rs 250 per kilogramme. According to government data, the all-India average price was roughly Rs 117 per kilogramme. In order to provide respite to retail customers, the Centre is offering tomatoes at a reduced price of Rs 90 per kg in key cities such as Delhi-NCR, Patna, and Lucknow. The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) are selling tomatoes on behalf of the Centre through mobile vans. “In addition to various parts of Delhi and Noida, sale of tomatoes at discounted rates started today at Lucknow, Patna and Muzaffarpur,” Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh tweeted. From Sunday onwards, NCCF plans to sell tomatoes through 100-odd Kendriya Bhandar outlets in the national capital. It is in talks with Mother Dairy to sell tomatoes through its 400 Safal retail outlets in Delhi-NCR. As per the data compiled by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average all-India retail price of tomatoes was ruling at Rs 116.86 per kg on Saturday, while the maximum rate was Rs 250 per kg and the minimum was Rs 25 per kg. The modal price of tomatoes is Rs 100 per kg. Among metros, tomatoes were ruling at Rs 178 per kg in Delhi, followed by Rs 150 per kg in Mumbai, and Rs 132 per kg in Chennai. The maximum price of Rs 250 per kg was in Hapur. 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.