Think tanning and pigmentation are the same? Experts decode the crucial differences between the twoTanning and pigmentation are often used interchangeably, but there’s quite a difference between the two. Experts decode the difference. Published on: May 26
‘Don’t visit Sikkim if you litter’: Anand Mahindra sparks civic sense debateAnand Mahindra’s X post on littering in Sikkim has gone viral, sparking debate on civic responsibility and tourist behaviour. Updated on: May 26, 2026 4:46 PM IST By Vaishali Kapila Share via Copy link Industrialist
China and Pakistan have reached a "new broad consensus" on deepening strategic ties to beef up development of a joint economic corridor and establish the port of Gwadar as a regional connectivity hub, the neighbours said on Tuesday (May 26, 2026)
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Backpacking across Europe? A solo traveller and content creator suggests the perfect packing listA solo traveller shares the smartest Europe backpacking essentials
Woman shows ladoos melting in Delhi heat, says ‘Inki abh barfi banegi’A viral video showing boxes of ladoos turning into a soft mess has left the internet amused, as people react with memes and relatable summer experiences. Updated on: May 26
Tomato prices soar to ₹80. Govt rolls out subsidy vans across Delhi-NCR
Tomato prices soar to ₹80. Govt rolls out subsidy vans across Delhi-NCR
New Delhi: India has started selling subsidized tomatoes in the national capital and will expand the operation to other parts of the countries as well to cool prices, which have surged amid crop damage caused by cyclone Montha last month, two government officials aware of the matter said.
Retail prices have crossed ₹80 per kg in several parts of Delhi, as the cyclone hit key growing regions in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, disrupting supplies. The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution has decided to sell “Janata” brand tomatoes at ₹52 per kg through the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), the officials cited earlier said on the condition of anonymity.
The government's move comes just ahead of the winter session of Parliament, which begins on 1 December and runs till 19 December.
Supplies to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have tightened in recent days, pushing up wholesale and retail prices. Prices have risen sharply after heavy rains and strong winds from the recent cyclone Montha damaged tomato crops, the first official said. The subsidized sale of tomatoes is expected to expand to other parts of the country in the coming days, this official added.
This is the first such market intervention in November—an unusual move, given that large-scale tomato and onion operations are typically carried out between August and October, when seasonal shortages spike due to monsoon rains.
As per the agriculture ministry's third advance estimates for 2024-25, India's tomato output is expected to fall to 19.46 million tonnes, from 21.32 million tonnes the year prior, with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka accounting for around 16% and 10%, respectively.
The Madanapalle region of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh and the Kolar–Chikkaballapur belt in Karnataka—two of India's most influential mandis for hybrid tomatoes—have reported damaged crops and reduced arrivals.
“We keep track of the prices of all essential commodities and intervene as and when required. Though arrivals of tomatoes remain normal during this part of the year, the damage to crops in key producing areas has reduced supply and created a market disruption. The sale of Janata tomatoes (which started on Wednesday) will continue until prices come down to the ₹40-50 per kg range,” the second official said.
NCCF will also be selling onions at ₹15/kg at different locations across Delhi-NCR.
Queries emailed to the consumer affairs ministry remained unanswered till press time.
The tomatoes will be sold through mobile vans and counters across prominent Delhi-NCR locations including Krishi Bhawan, Barakhamba Road, Khari Baoli, Saket, Malviya Nagar, Patel Chowk, R.K. Puram, Nehru Place, Rohini, Dwarka and Noida.
In 2024, the government had intervened twice to curb rising tomato prices. The first operation took place in July when retail rates touched ₹80-100 per kg, with discounted tomatoes sold at ₹60 per kg. A second round of intervention followed in October, when average market prices hovered around ₹100 per kg and subsidized tomatoes were made available at ₹65 per kg.
In 2023, tomato prices had surged past the ₹250 mark, prompting the government to sell tomatoes at ₹90 per kg in August. As market prices later cooled, the subsidized rate was reduced to ₹40 per kg.
“We were expecting a good harvest, but the rains have spoiled the yield. Since input costs have already risen, it will be difficult for small and marginal farmers to repay their loans,” said Sadashiv Halur, a farmer from Mulbagal taluka in Kolar district of Karnataka.
According to a senior horticulture official in the Karnataka state government, around 765 hectares of tomato crops were damaged due to unseasonal rain. The total area under tomato cultivation in the state was 39,474 hectares.
“Tomato is one of the most volatility-prone vegetables, and even small disruptions in Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka can trigger sharp retail spikes in the north. This intervention will help stabilise prices in the short term, but the larger issue is our dependence on a few belts like Madanapalle and Kolar,” said Pravesh Sharma, an agripolicy expert and former managing director of Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), an autonomous society promoted by the Union agriculture ministry.
“Unless India invests in distributed production clusters and better storage infrastructure, these price swings will continue to recur every year,” said Sharma.
As per the consumer affairs ministry data, the retail price of tomatoes in Delhi stood at ₹80 per kg on 25 November, a 66.7% increase from ₹48 per kg a year ago. A similar trend was visible in other metro cities. In Kolkata, prices rose 40.4% year-on-year to ₹73 per kg from ₹52, while in Chennai they fetched ₹75 per kg, up 87.5% from ₹40 last year.
Surprisingly, wholesale prices have remained almost flat despite the sharp rise at the retail level. Wholesale tomato prices were ₹4,182.21 per quintal on 25 November, up only 0.53% from ₹4,160.21 per quintal a year ago—a gap that indicates retail margins have widened even though mandi prices have barely moved.
“With tomatoes carrying a weight of about 0.6% in the Consumer Food Price Index, even a brief spike can introduce short-lived volatility, though headline inflation remains broadly contained,” said Abhash Kumar, assistant professor of economics, Delhi University.
“The early intervention reflects the government's concern that even a temporary spike in tomatoes—given their weight in the consumer food basket—can attract political criticism during the Parliament session. The Centre is expected to monitor supplies closely until arrivals normalise in December,” said B.B. Singh, former assistant director general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
“Currently, we are getting tomatoes from Nashik, and supply is short because of crop failure. However, prices are expected to ease over the next 20-25 days as fresh arrivals from Rajasthan and Punjab begin entering the market,” said Amar Thakur, proprietor of Roop Lal & Sons, a wholesale trader in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.
Tomato cultivation in Himachal Pradesh typically spans from June to October.
India's retail inflation plunged to a record low of 0.25% in October, down from 1.44% in September and far below the central bank's projection of 1.8% for the October–December quarter.
Source: LiveMint
Related Posts: Worms Crawl Out Of Sunny Leone’s Tomatoes Rahul questions PM Modi's silence on issue of air pollution in national capital Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow deployment of National Guard in Chicago area India’s sports boom is just getting started Farah Khan reveals Main Hoon Na started as rom-com Raj Kundra shares how his father reacted when he started dating Shilpa Shetty Bengaluru fintech co-founder reveals raw truth behind why he started his company Indian immigrant in US who started as a cab driver now makes $2 million annually Does Ozempic need to be taken forever once started Started Feeling Really Scared…
Martha Mitchell was a flamboyant Washington DC socialite whose husband was embroiled in the Watergate scandal. Her shocking claims of a violent abduction and a "dirty business" were ridiculed as delusional – until they turned out to be true. Martha Mitchell was a character; everyone agreed on
1 days ago
From the academic year 2026–27, bilingual classes will be introduced in all government schools across 15 districts of the state. While the government had earlier announced that English would be introduced in LKG classes, a fresh directive now states that an Urdu-English bilingual medium will also
1 days ago
Trading scalpel for golf irons: Indian-origin golfer Manav Shah’s stirring journey to US OpenTrading scalpel for golf irons: Indian-origin golfer Manav Shah’s stirring journey to US Open Updated on: May 26, 2026 4:14 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi
1 days ago
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that he was not in favour of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel. Also read | Pakistan deploys jet squadron, thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia amid escalating Iran war tensionsPakistan’s Defence Minister
1 days ago
AIADMK MLA Esakki Subaya submitted his resignation today. He is the fourth MLA from the party to resign in two days. Subaya supported former ministers C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani. Three other AIADMK MLAs also resigned yesterday. They are expected to get tickets for upcoming byelections from the
1 days ago
Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers' championship after Mercedes team-mate George Russell retired from the Canadian Grand Prix. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished second and Max Verstappen's Red Bull made up the top three. Russell was successful earlier in the weekend when he converted
1 days ago
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of three persons who died in February 2003 during protests seeking to declare the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district as a temple, The Hindu reported
1 days ago
2026 Honda City facelift on wishlist? Key genuine accessories you can buyThe 2026 Honda City facelift can be accessorised with a plethora of genuine accessories. Published on: May 26, 2026 1:40 PM IST By Mainak Das Share via Copy link Limited Time Deals on Popular cars Volvo XC90 ₹ 97
1 days ago
Lawyer seeks to register Cockroach Janta Party separately from US-based founderSudhir Jakhar, the lawyer calling himself the party’s national convener, submitted the application to the ECI secretary Updated on: May 26, 2026 1:57 PM IST By Harsh Yadav Share via Copy link A lawyer from Haryana’s
1 days ago
South Korean seven-piece BTS have won Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for the second consecutive year, cementing their status as one of the world's biggest bands. The award, considered the ceremony's grand prize, is just the latest crown jewel for the so-called kings of K-pop
1 days ago
The ET Most Innovative AI Product Awards 2026 recognises the AI Platforms, Infrastructure & Developer Tools category. It highlights the technologies powering the next phase of enterprise AI from platforms and MLOps to observability and developer tools. These innovations are enabling scalable
1 days ago
Vedant Shrivastava posts correct CBSE answer sheet, alleges marks slashed for right answerClass 12 student Vedant Shrivastava has received his correct answer sheets after CBSE admitted to a mix-up with his Physics paper. Updated on: May 26, 2026 1:13 PM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link Class
1 days ago
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced plans to boost the state's economy to Rs 10 lakh crore by 2028. He stated the tabling of the Uniform Civil Code bill demonstrates the government's dedication to the rights of minority women. Sarma also noted the election results reflected public
1 days ago
Air India has rolled out an upgrade to its Maharaja Club loyalty programme, allowing members to earn and redeem Maharaja Points on Air India Express flights covering more than 55 destinations across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. The move broadens the scope of the airline group’s
1 days ago
Hansal Mehta has long been recognised as one of India’s most emotionally observant storytellers. Whether through the raw realism of Shahid, the intimacy of Aligarh, the unsettling tension of Scam 1992 or the deeply human narratives that run across his body of work
1 days ago
Tech Tonic | Ferrari Luce, Sir Jony Ive, and a subversion of ethosFerrari Luce is trying to tell the carmakers of the world that cars don’t have to feel like driving a tablet. Published on: May 26, 2026 11:43 AM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link The first car from Sir Jonathan Paul Ive
1 days ago
SC stays Delhi HC ruling against barring law students over attendance shortageA bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order while issuing notice on a petition filed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) against the November 2025 judgment of the Delhi HC Published on: May 26
1 days ago
Hema Malini’s blush pink saree for receiving Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan is all about elegance and simplicity. See picsVeteran actor Hema Malini looked graceful in a blush pink saree as she accepted late actor Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan at the 2026 ceremony in New Delhi
1 days ago
Bengaluru traffic police slaps auto driver over accident, viral video sparks outrageMany on social media have tagged Bengaluru Police, urging them to take a look into the matter where a cop allegedly slapped an auto driver. Published on: May 26
1 days ago
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday (May 25, 2026) called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume bombing Beirut in response to increased explosive drone attacks by Hezbollah on Israeli troops and northern Israel towns. Mr
1 days ago
has reported a net profit of Rs 48.4 crore for FY26, its first full financial year after the completed its with , marking a turnaround from a Rs 216.7 crore loss in the previous year.Total income more than doubled to Rs 1,402.7 crore in FY26 from Rs 603.8 crore in FY25
1 days ago
Partnership, the firm cofounded by Indian entrepreneurs , Sanjeev Kumar and Ashish Kumar, has launched a dedicated frontier-tech investment platform, (Fundamentum Frontier Advisors), with Rs 3,000 crore to invest in artificial intelligence and deeptech startups.Of this, Rs 2
1 days ago
The admission process for IGNOU July 2026 session has commenced for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online programmes. Interested students can apply by visiting ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in. The Indira Gandhi National Open University has started the admission process for the July 2026
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.From instant coffee to incredible: The best easy-to-use brewers for a better morningGood coffee at home no longer needs cafe visits, as these coffee machines can handle espresso
1 days ago
5 crystals to bring luck and financial growthGemstones are tools to connect your goals with your actions and mindset. Here are five crystals that are often linked with luck and financial growth. Updated on: May 26, 2026 1:20 PM IST Edited by Kanakanjali Roy Share via Copy link While crystals are
1 days ago
The U.S. military said it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely”. The strikes were done “to protect our troops from
1 days ago
Wall Street is abuzz with next month’s expected blockbuster debut of Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker SpaceX, but few of the biggest IPOs in recent years have paid off for investors who bought in when the deals came to market. A Reuters analysis of the 50 IPOs with the highest
1 days ago
