New Delhi:
Food Minister Sudhanshu Pandey said on Thursday that retail tomato prices should stabilize over the next two weeks in southern states, where tariffs have risen sharply due to crop damage caused by local rains.
According to the records kept by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the retail prices for tomatoes in various locations are between Rs 50 and 106 per kg. The same situation also occurs in Maharasthra.
With the exception of Delhi, where tomato is sold for Rs 40 per kg, retail prices in other metro cities were high on June 2. Tomato was sold for Rs 77 per kg in Mumbai and Kolkata on Thursday, and for Rs 60 per kg in Chennai on Thursday, the data shows.
“In Delhi, tomato prices are stable. In South India, prices have risen due to crop damage caused by local rain,” Pandey told reporters.
Actual production and arrivals are more. There is no problem on the production side, he said, adding that the government has discussed this issue with states.
“It (prices) should stabilize over the next two weeks,” he added.
The secretary also mentioned that even onion production and purchasing is ahead of last year’s schedule.
“We have already purchased 52,000 tons from the rabi season so far, which is much more than last year’s 30,000 tons,” he said.
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