New delhi, Jun 16 (India Today) : Struggling to halt the rising prices of commodities, the government went into a huddle on Wednesday to check the sudden spurt causing commotion in the market.

While pulses continue to pinch pockets, shooting up of vegetables prices, particularly that of tomatoes, has added to the woes.

Tomatoes now cost 300 per cent more than their normal rates this season. The produce, which used to sell at Rs 20 a kg about 10 days ago, is now going at Rs 60, or more, at retail markets across the city.

Concerned over the development, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met officials on Wednesday, a day after wholesale price inflation in May shot up by 0.79 per cent sending the government scrambling for finding ways to control it.

Jaitley also met his key cabinet colleagues including Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

PRICE RISE IS SEASONAL

Paswan, officials claimed, briefed that the rise in tomato price was seasonal because the vegetable is perishable unlike wheat and rice. He also informed that his ministry is keeping a close watch on prices of pulses, sugar, wheat, tomatoes and other essential food items.
Azadpur Mandi, the largest wholesale centre of fruits and vegetables, has witnessed a sharp decline in procurement of tomatoes and other green vegetables.

"Tomatoes mostly arrive from Maharashtra and southern states during this season, but, the bad weather and drought have affected the supply thereby cutting it down by half. Similarly, supply of other green vegetables has also come down leading to rise in their prices," said Rajender Sharma, member, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Azadpur.

Tomato prices in most retail markets across the country have doubled to Rs 80 per kg over the last 15 days due to sluggish supply owing to crop damage. Potato rates have also been on the rise and is selling at Rs 20-30 a kg. Retail prices of pulses too are high, going over Rs 170 per kg.

MEASURES TO CONTROL THE SITUATION

Officials said that steps to check food inflation as well as efforts are being taken to boost supply of pulses through its newly-created buffer stock and also from imports.

The country had imported 5.5 million tonnes of pulses last year. The country's pulse production is estimated to be 17.06 million tonnes in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June), while the demand is pegged at 23.5 million tonnes.

WPI Inflation in vegetables stood at 12.94 per cent in May, a sharp rise from 2.21 per cent a month earlier. Pulses inflation remained fixed at 35.56 per cent. Food inflation rose to 7.88 per cent in May as against 4.23 per cent in April, the data showed.