CHITTOOR: Farmers who sell their produce at Madanapalle Tomato Market are happy with the increase in prices for the last few days. Less arrivals of the crop in other markets due to monsoon have increased the demand and price of tomatoes from Madanapalle.
Incessant rains in Telangana, Tamil Nadu and some other major growing regions have resulted in a shortfall of supply of the crop in markets there. As a result, tomato traders are now looking at the Madanapalle market, the largest in the State.
Normally, traders from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka visit wholesale markets in Palamaner, Madanapalle and Punganur to purchase tomatoes during the season. Tomatoes have been exported to Telangana, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka from Madanapalle market.The prices of high quality tomatoes, which were sold at Rs 6 to Rs 14 per kilo at the wholesale market in September-end, shot up to Rs 50-70 in the last one week.
“We have suffered severe losses this year. Now, the increased prices give us some respite. Less arrival of the crop in other States due to heavy rainfall has increased the demand for tomato in Madanapalle market. The price has touched Rs 74 per one kilo in the last week. Tomato traders from Tamil Nadu, Telangana and other states have been giving orders to local traders,” said K Sukumar Reddy, a farmer from Madanapalle.
Madanapalle market is getting enough stock from the western parts of the mandals — Thamballapalle, Punganur areas and border villages of Karnataka like Lakshmipuram, Rayalpadu, Gownepalli and Srinivasapuram. Thamballapalle is the major supplier of the crop to Madanapalle market with around 70-75 per cent of the arrivals.
On Tuesday, the first grade tomatoes were sold for Rs 68 a kg and the arrival stood at 323 metric tonnes a day. “This is the off-season. Usually, the season of huge arrivals is between March and August. The market has received a record arrival of 1,850 metric tonnes in a single day during the season. Now, the arrivals have not crossed 350-400 metric tonnes which resulted in demand for the produce,” said N Prakash, a trader from Madanapalle market.
Majority of the produce from Madanapalle market is being exported to Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh and border areas of Odisha.Sources in the agriculture marketing department say that the prices have increased with the less arrivals to the market. The situation is common during the off-season, sources added. Tomato farmers have suffered heavy losses as prices fell up to Rs 2-3 per kilo in April due to huge arrivals.