When Will Tomato Prices Come Down? Official Says "10-15 Days"

The price of tomatoes has been spiralling due to weather disturbances and is expected to come down over the next couple of weeks, Rohit Kumar Singh, the Union Consumer Affairs Secretary, has told NDTV.

"I want to assure people that prices are going to come down over the next few days... fresh supplies are expected in Delhi from Solan and other centres in Himachal Pradesh, which will help control prices," he said. "I think within 10 to 15 days the price of tomatoes will start coming down," he added.

Data from Consumer Affairs Department shows the retail price of tomato in Delhi is Rs 60 a kg, in Mumbai Rs 42 a kg, in Kolkata Rs 75 a kg and Chennai Rs 67 a kg.

The maximum price of Rs 122 per kg has been reported from Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Bellary (Karnataka), data shows.

"Every year, at this time of the year, there is a spike in tomato prices. This is one of those bad times," Mr Singh told NDTV.

The current crunch, he said, was due to the twin effect of bad weather and supply constraints. The monsoon is causing heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which has hit the crop and also restricted its supply.

The government, he added, has decided to hold a "Grand Tomato Challenge". This would call on people to brainstorm ideas for better preservation of the fruit.

"Tomatoes are a highly perishable commodity... We wish to get ideas on how new technologies can help improve storage of tomatoes so that its perishability can be addressed," he said.