Chennai: With the prices of tomatoes crossing Rs 150 per kg in various parts of the State including Chennai, the Tamilnadu government has decided to procure 15 metric tonnes (MT) of tomatoes from cooperatives and sell it to consumers in the market within the range of Rs 85-100.
Cooperatives Minister I Periyasamy said that steps will be taken to sell all vegetables at a lower rate to ease the burden on consumers as prices of vegetables, especially tomatoes, have increased.
With the wholesale price of the produce crossing Rs 140 per kilo, tomato, a common ingredient in every household, has been retailing at more than Rs 150 per kilo.
‘Tomato cultivation in Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are hit,’ officials said, adding that rains, increased consumption and marriage season fuelled the demand.
S Chandran, secretary of Federation of Wholesale Vegetable Market Associations at Koyambedu, said that the tomato cultivating belts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been badly hit by rains and floods.