Tomato Prices: Due to the huge spurt in tomato prices, the central government on Wednesday instructed the agencies – NAFED and NCCF – to procure tomatoes from mandis in key growing states including Maharashtra etc.

However, as these agencies will procure the tomatoes, they will distribute them in the states where the prices of the staple vegetable is skyrocketing following the unavailability.
From the past month, tomato prices have registered a significant surge as they rose to Rs 150-160 per Kg.

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According to the statement released by the food ministry, the procured stock of staple vegetables will be distributed at a discounted price in the Delhi NCR region by Friday.

“The targeted centres for release (of tomato) have been identified on the basis of absolute increase in retail prices over the past one month in centres where prevailing prices are above the All-India average,” the food ministry stated.

“Southern and Western regions being surplus states, feed to other markets depending on production seasons. The production seasons are also different across regions. The peak harvesting season occurs from December to February,” it asserted.

“The cycle of planting and harvesting seasons and variation across regions are primarily responsible for price seasonality in Tomatoes. Apart from the normal price seasonality, temporary supply chain disruptions and crop damage due to adverse weather conditions etc. often lead to sudden spikes in prices.” the food ministry said.

The Government also said that heavy rainfall in the country has added challenges in the distribution of the procured tomatoes in the deprived states.

Data from the Price Monitoring Division under the Department of Consumer Affairs reveals a significant increase in tomato prices this month compared to early June. On average, the per kilogram price of tomatoes has risen by Rs 60-100 in retail markets.

In Delhi, the price of tomatoes surged from Rs 20 per kg in early June to Rs 110 per kg last week. Similarly, in three key consuming regions, namely Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata, tomato prices rose to Rs 117, Rs 100, and Rs 148 per kg, respectively.

These figures indicate a substantial increase in tomato prices within a short span of time, highlighting the current market conditions and potential factors affecting the supply and demand of tomatoes in these regions.