National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) will kick start on Friday the sale of tomatoes via mobile vans in Delhi-NCR at a discounted rate of Rs 90/kg to provide relief to the consumers, top government officials said on Thursday.

In Noida, tomatoes will be sold at the NCCF office at Rajnigandha Chowk and also through mobile vans in Greater Noida and other locations, they said.

NCCF will start the sale in other cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur and Jaipur during the weekend, they added.

Cooperative NCCF and NAFED have received a mandate from the central government to sell tomatoes as there has been a sharp rise in the retail prices of the key kitchen staple up to Rs 224 per kg in several parts of the country.

Speaking with PTI, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said, "NCCF will start selling tomatoes at a discounted rate of Rs 90/kg from tomorrow. A good quantity of supplies has been procured from the producing centres.

The Centre is subsidising tomatoes by more than 30 per cent from the prevailing market rates to provide relief to the consumers, he said.

Elaborating on the retail operation, NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said, "We have fixed the price at Rs 90 per kg, while the procurement rate is Rs 120-130 per kg. The losses will be absorbed by the central government.

In Delhi, NCCF will start the sale on Friday morning at 11AM in all 11 districts through 30 mobile vans. About 17,000 kg of tomatoes will be sold on the first day, she said.

On Saturday, NCCF plans to sell about 20,000 kg of tomatoes and the quantity will be increased to 40,000 per day as the sale picks up, she added.

Amid flooding in some parts of Delhi, Joseph Chandra said, "Mobile vans will be despatched in locations wherever the access is possible. The number of mobile vans will be increased depending on access and response.

Once the water level recedes in some places, the NCCF will examine the situation and initiate the sale of tomatoes, she added.

In Noida, Joseph Chandra said the cooperative will sell tomatoes at a discounted rate at its office located in Rajnigandha Chowk. It will also sell via mobile vans in Greater Noida and other locations.

The number of mobile vans will be increased from Saturday to cover more locations.

NCCF is also talking to Mother Dairy about the sale of tomatoes at discounted rates through their Safal retail outlets in the national capital, she said.

The first truck-load of tomatoes from the major producing centre of Madanapalli, Andhra Pradesh is scheduled to arrive at night, she added.

NAFED will also start the sale of tomatoes at discounted rates in other cities in the next 2-3 days, the consumer affairs secretary said.

As per the government data, the average all-India retail price of tomatoes was ruling at Rs 114.72 per kg on Thursday, while the maximum rate was Rs 224 per kg and the minimum was Rs 40 per kg.

Among metros, tomatoes were ruling costlier at Rs 168 per kg in Delhi, followed by Rs 160 per kg in Mumbai, Rs 143 per kg in Kolkata and Rs 132 per kg in Chennai on Thursday.

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

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