In a bid to rein in soaring tomato prices, the government has announced plans to sell the staple vegetable at subsidized rates through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED).
This intervention comes as retail tomato prices across Delhi-NCR have more than doubled, crossing ₹60 per kilogram, following torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh that damaged crops and disrupted supply routes to major wholesale markets.
“As a short-term relief measure, tomatoes will be sold for under ₹50 per kg,” a senior government official confirmed. The subsidized sale is expected to begin in the coming days, with procurement being arranged from southern tomato-producing regions unaffected by the rains.
According to official data, average tomato prices rose to ₹39.35 per kg on July 4, up from ₹35.93 the previous week — a 9.5% increase. However, traders at Delhi’s Azadpur and Sahibabad mandis report even sharper spikes in the last few days, with limited arrivals pushing wholesale prices up drastically.
“The damage to crops in Himachal and poor road connectivity due to landslides have hit supply hard,” said a trader at Azadpur Mandi. “This is peak tomato season for the hills, and the disruption has left a significant gap in the market.”
With tomatoes being a key component of daily meals for millions of Indian households, the government’s move aims to ease the burden on consumers while ensuring market stability during the supply crunch.