*Centre Further Slashes Tomato Prices; NCCF and NAFED to Sell at Rs. 70 per kg Starting Tomorrow
Delhi, 19th July 2023,
In response to the declining trend in tomato prices, the Department of Consumer Affairs has instructed the National Consumer Cooperative Federation (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) to offer tomatoes at a retail price of Rs. 70/- per kg, effective from 20th July 2023. This move comes as a relief to consumers, as the price has been further reduced to make tomatoes more affordable.
Initially, NCCF and NAFED had set the retail price at Rs. 90/- per kg, which was subsequently lowered to Rs. 80/- per kg from 16th July 2023. Now, with the new directive, consumers will be able to purchase tomatoes at an even more economical rate of Rs. 70/- per kg.
To tackle the issue of soaring retail prices, the Department of Consumer Affairs had previously instructed NCCF and NAFED to procure tomatoes from mandis (wholesale markets) in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. These tomatoes were then made available for sale in major consumption centers where the retail prices had seen a substantial increase in the past month. The retail sale of tomatoes in Delhi-NCR commenced on 14th July 2023.
As of 18th July 2023, a total of 391 metric tonnes of tomatoes have been procured by NCCF and NAFED, and these are being consistently supplied to retail consumers in significant consumption centers across Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
The price reduction in tomatoes is expected to provide significant relief to consumers grappling with rising food costs and contribute to stabilizing the market situation.
