Onion, tomato prices to fall soon: Paswan

New Delhi: Blaming the hoarding of agricultural commodities for the surge in onion and tomato prices in retail markets, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday promised that the situation will improve once fresh supply begins.

"It is a matter of days. As fresh supply of onion and tomato starts from early November, the prices will come down," he told the media at an event organised here to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Paswan said the traders had adopted a different method to escape raids for hoarding farm produce.

"Traders have become very smart. They purchase produce from farmers but do not take it along with them. They leave it with the farmers. So whenever they are raided, nothing is found. Farmers cannot be raided. It will lead to an uproar," he said.

In Delhi, retail prices of tomato rose to Rs 80 a kg on Tuesday though the Department of Consumer Affairs data indicated it to be Rs 53 per kg. A month ago, tomato was sold at Rs 40 per kg.

Similarly, onion prices spiralled from Rs 30 a kg a month ago to Rs 51 a kg on Tuesday.
The prices of almost all vegetables are expected to come down once fresh supply to the National Capital Region starts from UP, Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.