We are importing tomatoes from Nepal: Indian finance minister

KATHMANDU: With tomato prices soaring, India has initiated the import of tomatoes from Nepal.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Parliament on Thursday that the initial batch of imports is expected to arrive by Friday in cities such as Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur, as reported by Indian news portal CNBC TV18.

Tomato prices have skyrocketed to an alarming Rs 300 per kilogram in several Indian states, primarily due to heavy rainfall impacts.

“The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) has allocated 884 tons of tomatoes to Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, and Uttar Pradesh. Currently, we have secured tomato supplies from Kolar mandi, priced at Rs 85/kg for delivery to Delhi,” Sitharaman disclosed in Parliament. She further revealed the government’s intent to offer tomatoes at a subsidized rate of Rs 70/kg in the Delhi-NCR region during the upcoming weekend.

Reports from Indian media indicate that individuals residing in border regions have been crossing into Nepal to purchase tomatoes.

At the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables wholesale market, the tomato prices ranged from Rs 65 to Rs 83 per kilogram on Thursday, contingent on the quality.