Tomato prices are now hovering around Rs 200 in several parts of the country
As tomato rates in the country cross new milestones every day, hovering around the 100-rupee mark for weeks now, the central government today announced steps to check the kitchen staple's price.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has asked National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and National Cooperative Consumers Federation to procure tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra and distribute them in areas that have recorded the biggest jump in tomato rates.
The fresh stocks, a government statement said, will be available to consumers in Delhi-NCR at discounted prices by Friday.
The centres where these fresh stocks will be released have been identified on the basis of absolute hike in retail prices over the past one month, the government said. The scale of consumption has also been considered in the process.
While tomato is produced in nearly every Indian state, the southern and western regions account for nearly 60 per cent of the country's total production. Their surplus produce is then used to ensure continuous supply to other parts of India.
"The production seasons are also different across regions. The peak harvesting season occurs from December to February. The periods during July-August and October-November are generally the lean production months for tomato," the statement said.
Explaining the price hike during this period, the statement added, "July coinciding with monsoon season, adds to further challenges related to distribution and increased transit losses adding to price rise. The cycle of planting and harvesting seasons and variation across regions are primarily responsible for price seasonality in Tomato. 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 government said tomato supplies are currently coming in from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi and nearby cities are receiving stocks from Himachal Pradesh and from Karnataka.
New crop arrivals are expected soon from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh arrivals are also expected to start. "Prices are anticipated to cool down in the near future, accordingly," the government said.