Delhi-NCR to get tomatoes at Rs 70 per kg this weekend: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said tomatoes in Delhi-NCR will be sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 70 per kg this weekend.Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, "NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited) is planning a mega-sale of tomatoes in Delhi-NCR at a subsidised rate of Rs 70 per kg this weekend and covering all nooks and corners of Delhi."She further said that as on date, NCCF has distributed 8,84,612 kgs of tomatoes in Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh and this will continue in the coming days."Already the prices of tomatoes in the wholesale mandis in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have started coming down below Rs 100 and we expect this to help us. As of today, we have booked tomatoes through Kolar mandi - coming to Delhi at Rs 85/kg," the Union minister said.Sitharaman informed that the government has also initiated imports of tomatoes from Nepal by removing the import restrictions. "The first lot of tomatoes from Nepal are likely to reach Varanasi, Kanpur by Friday itself," she added."Procuring of tomatoes from tomato growing regions of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and also Karnataka and distribution of these through cooperative societies like NCCF, NAFED are all happening. Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan - this has already started from 14th July and this will continue. Also in Delhi, mobile vans are distributing as outlets of NCCF and NAFED and also the Kendriya Bhandar," Sitharaman said.Tomato prices witnessed a sudden spike last week amid supply disruptions caused due to heavy rainfall in the key producing regions.With inputs from agencies