In a huge relief to consumers, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) will commence the sale of tomatoes at a discounted rate of Rs 90/kg through mobile vans in Delhi-NCR from Friday, officials said on Thursday.
The sale of tomatoes will be conducted at the NCCF office located at Rajnigandha Chowk in Noida, as well as through mobile vans in Greater Noida and various other locations. The sale will also expand to other cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur and Jaipur over the weekend.
The development comes after the central government authorised the Cooperative NCCF and NAFED to undertake the sale of tomatoes in response to the significant surge in retail prices of the essential kitchen commodity, reaching up to Rs 224 per kg in various regions across the country.
“NCCF will start selling tomatoes at a discounted rate of Rs 90/kg from tomorrow. A good quantity of supplies has been procured from the producing centres. The Centre is subsidising tomatoes by more than 30 per cent from the prevailing market rates to provide relief to the consumers,” Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said.
Providing further details on the retail operation, NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra explained that the price for tomatoes has been set at Rs 90 per kg, whereas the procurement rate stands at Rs 120-130 per kg. The incurred losses will be borne by the central government.
Delhi Tomato Sale Timings
In Delhi, the NCCF will commence the sale at 11 AM on Friday morning across all 11 districts using 30 mobile vans. According NCCF Managing Director stated approximately 17,000 kg of tomatoes will be sold on the first day.
The plan for Saturday is to sell around 20,000 kg of tomatoes, with the quantity gradually increasing to 40,000 kg per day as the sale gains momentum.
Tomato Sale Amid Delhi Floods
Addressing the issue of flooding in certain areas of Delhi, Joseph Chandra stated that mobile vans will be dispatched to locations where access is feasible. The number of mobile vans will be expanded based on the response and accessibility. She further mentioned that once the water level subsides in affected areas, the NCCF will assess the situation and initiate the sale of tomatoes accordingly.
Tomato Sale in Noida
Regarding Noida, Joseph Chandra stated that the cooperative will offer tomatoes at a discounted rate through its office situated at Rajnigandha Chowk. Tomatoes will be sold via mobile vans in Greater Noida and various other locations.
She further mentioned that the number of mobile vans will be expanded from Saturday onwards to encompass more areas.
In Talks With Tomato Sale in Safal Stores
Chandra also mentioned that the NCCF is currently in discussions with Mother Dairy regarding the sale of tomatoes at discounted prices through their Safal retail outlets in the national capital.
Pan-India Implementation
The first truck-load of tomatoes from the primary producing center in Madanapalli, Andhra Pradesh, is expected to arrive tonight.
The consumer affairs secretary stated that NAFED will commence the sale of tomatoes at discounted rates in other cities within the next 2-3 days.
According to government data, the average retail price of tomatoes across India stood at Rs 114.72 per kg on Thursday. The maximum recorded price was Rs 224 per kg, while the minimum was Rs 40 per kg.
Among major cities, Delhi had the highest tomato price at Rs 168 per kg, followed by Mumbai at Rs 160 per kg, Kolkata at Rs 143 per kg and Chennai at Rs 132 per kg on Thursday.
Historically, tomato prices tend to rise during the lean production months of July-August and October-November. The current surge in rates can be attributed to supply disruptions caused by monsoon-related factors.
(With inputs from PTI)
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