KATHMANDU, Aug 11: India has started importing tomatoes from Nepal. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharanam made an announcement in the lower house of India’s bicameral parliament (Lok Sabha) on Thursday that they have started bringing tomatoes from Nepal.
In recent times, the price of tomatoes in India has skyrocketed. The people in India are suffering due to the increase in the price of tomatoes, an everyday essential. Sitharaman said that India has imported tomatoes from Nepal and it will reach Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur by Friday (today).
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On Friday, the price of tomatoes was fixed at INR 160 per kg in most states of India. However, owing to high demand and limited supply, the tomatoes are being sold for more than INR 200 per kg in the market.
In Nepal today, the average wholesale price of cocktail tomatoes is Rs 150, while the price of local cherry tomatoes is Rs 65 and the price of small tomatoes grown in tunnels is Rs 84 per kg.
According to a report by the Economic Times of India, the price of tomatoes has skyrocketed due to floods and landslides caused by rains, high temperatures, and the spread of tomato mosaic virus. Citing Reuters, the Indian media mentioned that the price of tomatoes in India's wholesale market has increased by 1,400 percent. Two to three months ago, tomatoes were priced at INR 15 to INR 20 per kg in the Indian market, but recently prices have soared to INR 280 per kg.
Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das has also expressed his concern that the escalating price of mutton and other essential food items may increase the economic recession.
