Tomato Price news: Do you know that tomato, the pride of the kitchen, has become more ‘red’ these days? Its prices have reached Rs 80 per kg in Delhi-NCR. This is not just a vegetable issue, but it shows how even small disruptions in weather and supply can have a big impact on our wallets. But the good news is that the government has immediately come into action to reduce this inflation. He has started selling ‘Janata’ brand tomatoes at a discounted price of Rs 52 per kg.
Cyclone ‘Montha’ that struck last month has caused huge damage to crops in the tomato producing areas of the country, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This loss severely disrupted the tomato supply chain, which had a direct impact on wholesale and retail prices. As a result, the price of tomato crossed Rs 80 per kg in many parts of Delhi. To control this rising inflation, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has taken an important step. According to officials, they have started selling ‘Janata’ brand tomatoes at a concessional rate, i.e. Rs 52 per kg, through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF).
How long will tomatoes continue to be sold to the public?
According to a report in Mint, this step of the government has come just before the winter session of Parliament starting from December 1. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We keep an eye on the prices of all essential commodities and intervene if needed. Tomato arrivals are normal at this time of the year, but crop losses in major growing areas have reduced supplies and caused market disruption. The sale of tomatoes to the public will continue until prices come down to the range of Rs 40-50 per kg.”
Where have the vans been installed in Delhi?
NCCF is selling subsidized tomatoes in Delhi through mobile vans and counters in many major places of Delhi-NCR like Krushi Bhawan, Barakhamba Road, Saket, Malviya Nagar, Patel Chowk, RK Puram, Nehru Place, Rohini, Dwarka and Noida. Not only this, to provide relief from inflation, NCCF is selling tomatoes individually but at Rs 15, where are they being sold? Know / Onion is also being sold in kilograms.
Why did tomatoes become expensive?
Due to crop damage, reduction in yield and arrivals has been recorded in major mandis like Madanapalle area in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and Kolar-Chikkaballapur belt in Karnataka. According to the third advance estimate of the Agriculture Ministry, India’s tomato production is estimated to decline to 19.46 million tonnes in the year 2024-25 from 21.32 million tonnes last year, of which Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have a share of about 16% and 10% respectively. Farmers are also struggling with this problem.
According to a senior horticulture official of the Karnataka government, about 765 hectares of tomato crop has been damaged due to unseasonal rains, while the total tomato cultivation in the state was 39,474 hectares.
What does the government data say?
According to Consumer Affairs Ministry data, the retail price of tomato in Delhi on November 25 was ₹80 per kg, up 66.7% from ₹48 per kg a year ago. In Kolkata it increased by 40.4% to ₹73 per kg, while in Chennai it increased by 87.5% to ₹75 per kg.
According to the same Mint report, Abhash Kumar, assistant professor of economics, Delhi University, said that “Tomato has a weighting of about 0.6% in the consumer food price index, so even a brief surge could bring short-term volatility, although core inflation remains largely under control.” At the same time, former Assistant Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) B.B. Singh believes that “this early intervention reflects the government’s concern that even a temporary surge in tomatoes could attract political criticism during the Parliament session. The Center is expected to keep a close watch on supplies until arrivals normalize in December.” It is important to understand that this effort of the government is an important step to provide immediate relief to the common man.
What are the substitutes for tomatoes in the kitchen?
To avoid the frequent spike in tomato prices, you can adopt some cheap and nutritious options in your kitchen:
- Tamarind or dry mango powder: It can add sourness and thickness to the gravy like tomato. It can be used in dal, sambar and curry.
- Curd or buttermilk: It is especially a great option for adding sourness and creamy texture to kadhis and certain types of vegetables.
- Red Bell Pepper: By boiling or roasting it to make a paste, it gives consistency and mild sweet taste like tomato paste, which also improves the color.
- Tomato Puree or Paste: When tomatoes are cheap, buy them, puree them and freeze them or buy paste of a reliable brand from the market and stock it. This is very useful in emergency situations.
