No black marketing of onions and tomato reported: Centre

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) The prices of vegetables are determined by the normal market forces of demand and supply as well as production/harvest season, and there has been no report of black marketing of onions and tomato from the states/UTs, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

"The prices of vegetables are also influenced by other factors such as disruptions in supply chain, functioning of mandis, rainfall, labour, transportation etc. State governments as well as the Central government continue to exercise powers under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 for preventing such practices," Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The government is implementing market information system where the prices of vegetables are collected through Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis and disseminated for its use by the farmers through Agmarknet portal, mobile applications etc. for better price realisation, he said.

To give fair price to the farmers for green vegetables, the government is implementing the scheme of 'Operation Greens' for integrated development of tomato, onion, and potato (TOP) value chain since 2018-19. The major objectives of the scheme inter alia include enhancing value realisation of TOP farmers, price stabilisation for producers and consumers, reduction in post-harvest losses, increase in food-processing capacities and value addition in TOP value chain by creating firm linkages with production clusters.

Further, the government has extended the Short-Term Price Stabilisation Measures from tomato, onion, and potato to another 41 notified crops - fruits and vegetables - with effect from June 11, 2020, the Minister said.

"As on July 19, 2021, total subsidy of Rs 47.66 crore has been released as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan under Operation Greens scheme," he added.