On Saturday, the wholesale prices of tomatoes in Delhi witnessed a significant decline of approximately 29%. This decline occurred right after the launch of a government initiative by the Centre, wherein tomatoes were made available at a discounted price of INR 90 per kilogram through the government-owned consumer cooperative, NCCF.
According to government data, the wholesale price of tomatoes in the national capital witnessed a decline, reaching INR 7,575 per quintal on Saturday from its previous peak of INR 10,750 on Friday. Despite this decrease, there was no corresponding adjustment in the retail price, with the average price at outlets remaining unchanged at INR 178 per kg, the same as Friday. Officials have mentioned that it typically takes a day or two for the impact of the wholesale price drop to be reflected in the retail market.
The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) facilitated the sale of approximately 24 tonnes of tomatoes on Saturday. This was accomplished through the utilization of their vans and the distribution across Safal outlets in Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Noida. The previous day, Friday, saw a total sale of around 18 tonnes.
“We are selling all the best quality tomatoes that we are getting from other states. This will continue till prices fall significantly,” said an official.
According to the price monitoring cell of the consumer affairs ministry, the wholesale price of a crucial kitchen item has shown a consistent rise, starting from INR 9,400 per quintal on July 10 and reaching INR 10,750 on July 12. These prices remained stable for the following two days. Officials have taken measures by deploying several NCCF vans throughout the NCR, and with more outlets selling tomatoes at a fixed price of INR 90, it is expected that the prices will gradually decrease in the coming days.
Regarding the retail prices, there was a significant increase, with a jump from INR 127 per kilo on July 10 to INR 178 on Friday.