Average tomato prices in Delhi drop to Rs 150 per kg: Govt data

In Delhi’s Paschim Vihar, local vendors are selling tomatoes at Rs 120-140 per kg depending on the quality.

Tomato prices in the retail markets of the national capital declined to an average of Rs 150 per kg on Monday from Rs 178 per kg on Sunday, according to government data.

However, e-commerce players such as Amazon, Big Basket and Otipy are selling tomatoes at Rs 170-190 per kg in Delhi-NCR. Blinkit is selling at Rs 138 per kg. The Centre is selling tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 80 per kg in Delhi-NCR and some other cities through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).

As per the data compiled by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the all-India average retail price of tomatoes was Rs 120.29 per kg while the maximum price was Rs 237 per kg at Hapur. The minimum retail price was Rs 47 per kg while the modal price was Rs 120 per kg. Among other metros, tomatoes were selling at Rs 155 per kg in Mumbai, Rs 132 per kg in Chennai and Rs 143 per kg in Kolkata.

In Delhi’s Paschim Vihar, local vendors are selling tomatoes at Rs 120-140 per kg depending on the quality. "Wholesale prices at Azadpur mandi have fallen. We bought at Rs 100-120 per kg and are selling at Rs 120-140 per kg,” Jyotish Kumar Jha, a fruit and vegetable vendor at Paschim Vihar said. On Sunday, the Centre decided to cut the subsidised price of tomatoes to Rs 80 per kg from Rs 90 per kg.

"There has been a decrease in the wholesale prices of tomatoes due to the intervention of the government to sell it at a concessional rate of Rs 90 per kg, at several locations in the country where the prices were ruling exceptionally high,” an official statement had said. "After a re-assessment of the situation from across 500 plus points in the country, it has been decided to sell it at Rs 80 per kg from today, Sunday, July 16th, 2023,” it added.

Tomato prices normally shoot up during July-August and October-November periods, which are generally lean production months. Supply disruption caused due to the monsoon has led to a sharp rise in the rates of tomatoes.