Tomato prices spike again on tight supply; Mother Dairy stores selling at Rs 259/kg
New Delhi (PTI): Tomato prices have again hit the roof in the national capital with Mother Dairy selling the key kitchen staple at a whopping Rs 259 per kg on Wednesday via its Safal retail stores.
Tomato prices have been under pressure for more than a month now on account of supply disruptions caused due to heavy rainfall in the key producing regions.
With central government's intervention through sale of tomatoes at a subsidised rate since July 14, retail prices in the national capital had begun softening recently but have again firmed up due to short supply.
As per the data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry, retail price of tomato touched Rs 203 per kg on Wednesday, whereas at Mother Dairy's Safal retail outlets, the price was ruling at Rs 259 per kg.
"Tomato supply has been affected across the country for last two months owing to weather abnormalities. In the last two days, arrivals in Azadpur, which is the main feeder for Delhi, has also dropped drastically. Due to short supply, prices have sharply shot up in wholesale, resulting in impact at retail prices too," a Mother Dairy spokesperson said.
Wholesale prices of tomato at Azadpur mandi here, Asia's largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, were on Wednesday ruling at Rs 170-220 per kg, depending on the quality.
According to Azadpur Tomato Association President Ashok Kaushik, "In the last three days, the arrival of tomatoes has reduced as the crop has been damaged in the growing regions because of heavy rainfall."
Azadpur mandi saw arrival of only 15 per cent tomatoes on Wednesday as only six small trucks could get the supplies from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, he said, adding this has led to firming up of prices.
Kaushik however said the supply situation is expected to improve in the next ten days.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
