India's Consumer Affairs Ministry has launched a Grand Tomato Challenge to help solve shortages in the vital good which have prompted sharp price rises.
The competition calls on people to offer innovative ideas to improve production, processing, and storage of the commodity. It comes amid strong criticism from opposition parties over the price hikes.
"We will launch the Tomato Grand Challenge where we will invite innovative ideas, create prototypes, cost-effective solution to developing, technologies for pre-production; primary processing, post-harvest, storage, and valorisation of tomato," Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said.
Monsoon rains have affected the transportation of the crop from one region to others with many goods rotting easily during extreme weather.
A similar challenge was launched last year by the ministry when the onion price went up, allegedly returning favorable results.
"During the onion challenge, we received 600-odd ideas for onion, out of which 13 ideas are now mentored under the guidance of experts," Kumar said.
As the price of onions doubled in a week, government officials believe that the spurt in tomato prices is a temporary, seasonal phenomenon and prices will cool down soon.