Govt cuts price of subsidised tomato to Rs 70/kg

New Delhi, July 19 (PTI) The government has reduced prices of subsidised tomatoes to Rs 70 per kilogramme from Thursday from Rs 80 per kg now to provide relief to common man from high retail prices.

From Friday last week, the central government is selling tomatoes at a subsidised rates. Cooperatives Nafed and NCCF are selling on behalf of the government.

“The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed NCCF and NAFED to sell tomatoes at retail price of Rs 70 per kg rate from July 20, 2023 in view of the declining trend in tomato prices,” an official statement said.

The tomatoes procured by NCCF and NAFED had been retailed, initially, at Rs 90 per kg and then reduced to Rs 80 per kg from July 16, 2023.

“The reduction to Rs 70/kg will further benefit the consumers,” the statement said.

On the direction of Department of Consumer Affairs, NCCF and NAFED had commenced the procurement of tomato from mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra for simultaneous disposal in major consumption centres where retail prices have recorded maximum increase in last one month.

“The retail sale of tomatoes in Delhi-NCR had started from 14th July, 2023. Till 18th July, 2023, a total of 391 tonnes of tomato had been procured by the two agencies which are being continuously disposed of to the retail consumers in major consumption centres of Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” the statement said.