Ghaziabad admin sets up counters to sell tomatoes at wholesale prices

The price of tomatoes has increased over the last few weeks, forcing residents to make do without it. Now, officials of the district administration have asked the district ‘Mandi Samiti’ to open counters in Sahibabad, Loni and Govindpuram wholesale markets in Ghaziabad to sell tomatoes at a wholesale price.

The Ghaziabad district administration has made arrangements to provide tomatoes at wholesale prices, from Rs40-Rs60, to consumers.

The price of tomatoes has increased from around Rs30 to around Rs80 over the last few weeks (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The price of tomatoes has increased from around Rs30 to around Rs80 over the last few weeks, forcing residents to do without it. Now, officials of the district administration have asked the district ‘Mandi Samiti’ to open counters in Sahibabad, Loni and Govindpuram wholesale markets in Ghaziabad to sell tomatoes at a wholesale price.

“The tomatoes at these counters will be offered at Rs40-Rs60 per kg, well below the retail price. Presently, the retail cost of tomatoes is high and the district magistrate convened a meeting, in which it was decided that counters (for selling tomatoes) would be opened at three major locations,” said Sanjay Bansal, additional city magistrate.

Officials have also put up notice boards at ration shops to inform consumers about the availability of tomatoes at wholesale prices.

“This arrangement is done to check the price rise of tomatoes, which are presently being sold in retail for Rs80-100 per kg in different areas. Opening of counters will help us correct the price rise. In case the price rise persists, we will set up more such counters in markets and ration shops in the second phase,” he said.

According to officials of the agricultural marketing department, the price of tomatoes has shot up due to exhaustion of the local produce.

The stock at major markets, including Sahibabad vegetable market, are mostly being procured from Himachal Pradesh and Pune in Maharashtra.

Officials said that due to monsoon, the supply from Himachal Pradesh has also gone down. They said that traders at the Sahibabad vegetable market generally procure 700-800 quintals of tomatoes per day but are getting only 350-400 quintals at present.

According to available data, a quintal of tomatoes, which costs Rs3,000-Rs3,200 at present, cost Rs900-Rs1,000 in March, when local produce was available.