New Delhi, Aug 19 : The government on Saturday imposed a 40 per cent export duty on onion exports till December 31. The announcement was made through a notification on Saturday. This notification shall come into force with immediate effect, and will remain in force up to and inclusive of the December 31, 2023. The prices of several vegetables including onion, potato and tomatoes have skyrocketed in last few weeks. Following the soaring prices of tomatoes, the government decided that it will sell tomatoes at Rs 40 per kg from August 20 onwards with an aim to further cool down its prices. NAFED and NCCF have been directed by the consumer affairs department to sell tomatoes at Rs 40 per kg from August 20, in view of continued decline in tomato prices in wholesale and retail markets. The Consumer Affairs Ministry on Friday announced the decision, saying that till date more than 15 lakh kg of tomatoes have been procured by NAFED and NCCF since July 14. Tomatoes have been sold by the two agencies at subsidised rates across the country in locations like Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the past one month. There was a spike in retail inflation also for July, as it had touched 7.44 per cent owing to high food prices, which took food inflation to 11.51 per cent for the same period. /IANS