KURNOOL: At a time when the prices of tomatoes at the wholesale or retail market in any part of the State are spiralling, farmers of some parts of Kurnool district are getting a mere Rs 1 a kg for their produce. The farmers who brought their yield to Pathikonda, Aspari and Aluru wholesale markets, have dumped their produce on the roads as the price is highly unremunerative and they would not get even the transportation costs. Cattle are feasting on the dumped tomato produce at market yards. Some farmers have stopped engaging workers to pluck tomatoes as paying their wages has become burdensome for them due to slump in prices.
It is alleged that commission agents are exploiting the farmers, dashing their hopes of reaping good profits due to bumper yield this year. Traders are offering a pittance to the farmers for a kg of tomatoes and commission agents’ hand in it is amply evident.
As their protest from Thursday to Friday afternoon demanding remunerative price has not yielded any result, the hapless farmers dumped their produce on the road cursing the indifference of marketing officials to their plight.
B Sayanna, a farmer from Tekmal village in Devanakonda Mandal, said he raised tomato crop in four acres by investing Rs 1.2 lakh. “I brought the produce to Pathikonda market by hiring tractors. Here, the traders (middlemen) are offering just Rs 10 per basket (one basket contains 10 kg of tomatoes). I can’t get back the investment leave alone profits. How can I repay the loan taken for raising the crop?’’ he rued.
K Hulthenna from Chinnahulthi in Pathikonda Mandal said, “I cultivated tomato in 10 acres. The crop yield is good this season compared to last year. But the market prices are not satisfactory. We invested Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre, excluding transportation charges.”
Though the district authorities directed the market yard officials to hold auction of tomatoes inside the yard, the commission agents, who colluded with traders, are not ready for it and exerting pressure on farmers to negotiate the price outside the yard premises, which resulted in steep fall in the prices.
Assistant Director of Horticulture Raghunatha Reddy said the tomato prices are not satisfactory only at Pathikonda market where a basket is being sold at Rs 30. Tomatoes are priced at Rs 350 a basket at Billekal and Rs 300 at Pyapili.
“This is the start of the season and there should be good demand for tomatoes. Farmers cultivated tomato crop in nearly 5,000 hectares in the district. The peak season for tomatoes is November and December. The market prices of tomatoes will certainly go up in the coming days,” he added.
BJP Pathikonda incharge E Ranga Goud said, “This is not the first time that tomato farmers are incurring losses due to lack of remunerative prices. It has become an annual ritual. Despite many agitations, the government has turned a blind eye to the issue. It is not taking any measures for market intervention to stabilise the prices of tomato and onion when they are on the downward trend, to rescue farmers.”
Farmers in precarious situation
If tomato crop is not cultivated, the prices will skyrocket, if cultivated, the prices will slump
Tomato crop requires an investment of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acreTomato is 10 month long crop.
The first four harvests get good price of Rs 15 to Rs 20 a kg in wholesale market
The prices start declining from fifth to eighth harvests of the crop
The arrival of crop in large quantities results in slump in prices
Setting up of tomato processing units will be helpful to farmers, which will ensure support price to farmers as the vegetable is highly perishable
Tomatoes are exported to Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra from Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool districts