Subsidised tomatoes at Rs 70 now available online through ONDC

You can now buy tomatoes at just Rs 70 from the comfort your home as the government's agricultural marketing company National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) started selling tomatoes at the subsidised rate of Rs 70 per kilogram through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra told ANI that tomatoes will be made available through buyers' app listed at ONDC such as Paytm, Magicpin, Mystore and Pincode to begin with.

You can place your from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm daily and the delivery will be made the next day. "There will be doorstep delivery at no extra cost to the consumer," according to Chandra.


However, currently you can order just 2 kg per order.

"The interface is simple and user-friendly. Consumers can simply go on these apps and order tomatoes at the rate of Rs 70 per kg. Order is restricted to 2 kg per order only," Chandra said.

Currently, e-commerce companies are providing doorstep delivery at about Rs 170-180 per kg.

The sharp rise in tomato prices was reported across the country, and is not just limited to a particular region or geography. In key cities, it rose to as high as Rs 150-200 per kg.

In its bid to give further relief to consumers, the central government on last Wednesday said it has directed its marketing agencies - NAFED and NCCF - to sell tomatoes at Rs 70 per kg instead of Rs 80.

The tomatoes procured by National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) had been retailed, initially, at Rs 90 per kg and then reduced to Rs 80 per kg from July 16, 2023 to now Rs 70.

Amid a sharp spurt in tomato prices across the country, the agencies -- NCCF and NAFED - had commenced the procurement of tomatoes from mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra for simultaneous disposal in major consumption centres where retail prices have recorded maximum increase in last one month.

The government attributed the rise in prices to the monsoon season, saying that it added to further challenges related to distribution and increased transit losses.

With ANI Inputs