New Delhi: As tomato prices in India continue to soar, reaching new milestones every day and hovering around the Rs 100 mark for an extended period, the Central government has taken measures to address the increasing prices of this important item in the Indian kitchen.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation to procure tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. These tomatoes will then be distributed in regions that have experienced the most significant surge in tomato rates.

According to a government statement, the fresh tomato stocks will be made available to consumers in the Delhi-NCR region at discounted prices starting from Friday in a bid to alleviate the burden of high tomato prices for consumers in the affected areas.

The government has identified specific centres, based on both the absolute hike in prices and the scale of consumption in those areas, for releasing the fresh tomato stocks based on the spike in retail prices over the past month

Although tomato production occurs in almost every state in India, the southern and western regions contribute to approximately 60 percent of the country's total production.

These regions generate surplus produce, which is then distributed to ensure a continuous supply of tomatoes to other parts of India.

This distribution helps maintain stability in tomato availability across the country.

"The production seasons are also different across regions. The peak harvesting season occurs from December to February. The periods during July-August and October-November are generally the lean production months for tomato," the statement said.

Outlining the  cause of sudden price hike during this period, the statement added, "July coinciding with monsoon season, adds to further challenges related to distribution and increased transit losses adding to price rise. The cycle of planting and harvesting seasons and variation across regions are primarily responsible for price seasonality in Tomato. Apart from the normal price seasonality, temporary supply chain disruptions and crop damage due to adverse weather conditions etc. often lead to sudden spikes in prices."

Currently, tomatoes are being sourced from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

However, the capital city of Delhi and its surrounding areas are getting supplies from Himachal Pradesh and from Karnataka.

Anticipated new crop arrivals from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are expected to commence soon.

These arrivals are likely to contribute to the overall tomato supply in the market, potentially easing the current shortage and helping stabilize prices.

The availability of tomatoes from these regions will provide a fresh influx of produce, ensuring a steady flow of tomatoes to meet consumer demand.

"Prices are anticipated to cool down in the near future, accordingly," the government said.