The Centre on Friday announced a ‘Tomato Grand Challenge Hackathon’ in New Delhi, requesting the public to suggest innovative ideas to reduce tomato prices, surging over the past few weeks. Students, research scholars, teachers, industries, start-ups, and professionals can participate in the new contest.

Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said the ideas could be on the tomato value chain to ensure its availability to consumers at affordable prices and help farmers get value for the produce. The hackathon has been formulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs in collaboration with Education Ministry’s Innovation Cell.

A similar exercise was done when onion prices increased some time ago. Singh said his Ministry had then received 13 ideas on adding value and controlling the prices of onion.