Government Launches Subsidised Tomato Sales in Delhi-NCR to Tackle Price Surge

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has initiated the sale of tomatoes at Rs 60 per kg in Delhi-NCR to stabilise market prices and alleviate consumer burden. The initiative deploys NCCF vans to ensure affordable access, driven by market interventions to curb rising costs and support consumers.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday launched an initiative to sell tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 60 per kg in Delhi-NCR. This move aims to stabilise prices and provide relief to consumers struggling with high costs.

The National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) will distribute tomatoes through vans in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram. This market intervention marks the Centre's efforts to control soaring tomato prices in the retail market.

During the launch event, Joshi stated that the Department of Consumer Affairs decided to act to manage rising tomato prices, especially in major cities like Delhi. He mentioned that vegetable vendors in the national capital are currently selling tomatoes at Rs 70-100 per kg, which varies based on quality and location.

Joshi highlighted the establishment of the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to maintain stable food prices and safeguard consumer interests. The PSF facilitates the procurement of essential commodities directly from farmers, bypassing intermediaries to ensure consumers get fair prices.

However, in this case, PSF was not used as tomatoes were directly sourced from wholesale markets. This initiative is expected to ease the tomato price surge, stabilise the market, and offer tomatoes at subsidised rates.

NCCF's market intervention targets price stabilization at the retail level, aiming to prevent unreasonable profit margins and protect consumer interests. This step underscores NCCF's commitment to maintaining a stable market and promoting fair trade practices, benefiting both consumers and the overall market ecosystem, according to an official statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)