India has started importing tomatoes from Nepal by lifting import restrictions, she Nirmala Sitharaman. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said tomatoes will be sold at ₹70 per kg in Delhi-NCR as prices continue to rise. National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF) will conduct sale of tomatoes in Delhi-NCR this weekend at subsidized rates, it said informing that tomatoes are being procured from Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for distribution through cooperative societies like NCCF and NAFED.
This scheme is operational in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan from July 14. Mobile vans in Delhi function as NCCF and NAFED outlets, she said.
“NCCF is planning a mega tomato sale in Delhi-NCR this weekend at a subsidized rate of ₹70/kg and will cover all corners of Delhi,” said Nirmala Sitharaman.
India has started importing tomatoes from Nepal by lifting import restrictions, it added, explaining that the first quantity of imports is likely to reach Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur by Friday.
Tomato prices saw a sudden jump last week. The kitchen staple is witnessing a sharp rise in prices amid supply disruptions caused by heavy rains in key production regions.
Defending the government’s policy, the finance minister said during a no-confidence debate in Parliament that India has shown a remarkable economic transformation, arguing that progress is achieved through action rather than mere rhetoric.
She highlighted the situation in some developed countries, saying: “The UK’s struggle, where the Bank of England has raised interest rates 14 times in a row, and the European Central Bank’s struggle with high inflation, which has raised interest rates nine times to a 23-year high despite global economic headwinds, the Indian economy has achieved commendable growth”.
