For the last two months, the skyrocketing price of tomatoes has troubled every family and housewife. Due to this, the budget of the house has also deteriorated. However, now relief has started coming. Meanwhile, the good news is that tomato prices are going to rise from the seventh sky soon. In fact, the Uttar Pradesh government has imported about five tonnes of tomatoes to give relief to the people of the state. It will be sold at a discounted price of Rs 50 per kg from tomorrow i.e. Thursday. The National Consumer Cooperative Federation of India Limited (NCCF) gave this information on Wednesday. NCCF has contracted the import of 10 tonnes of tomatoes from Nepal.
Prices will fall rapidly across the country
It is not that tomatoes will be cheaper only in Uttar Pradesh. Let us tell you that the price of tomatoes is going to increase all over the country. In fact, the reason for this is that the arrival of the new crop of tomatoes in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh has started in the wholesale markets and the prices are also coming down. According to government data, the all-India average wholesale price of tomato declined to Rs 88.22 per kg on August 15 from Rs 97.56 per kg a month ago. Similarly, the all-India average retail price of tomato has come down to Rs 107.87 per kg from Rs 118.7 per kg a month ago, the data showed. Mandi traders are predicting that prices will fall further in the coming days.
The central government is also selling tomatoes.
Along with imports, NCCF is also making domestic procurement of tomatoes on behalf of the central government and selling it to consumers at a subsidised rate. The NCCF is “intervening” at the retail level following a directive from the Consumer Affairs Ministry. “We have contracted to import 10 tonnes of tomatoes from Nepal,” NCCF Managing Director Ennis Joseph Chandra said. Of this, 3-4 tonnes were distributed in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. Around five tonnes are in transit and will be sold in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. He said that tomatoes spoil quickly. Because of this, it cannot be sold in other parts of the country. In Uttar Pradesh, both imported and locally procured tomatoes are being sold through retail outlets as well as mobile vans at select locations. He said tomatoes procured from major producing states of the country are being sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 50 per kg in Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. Asked about further import of tomatoes from Nepal, Chandra said, “Import from Nepal will be done in a phased manner as domestic arrivals have started in the mandis of some states.
