KURNOOL: Crop failure in neighbouring States coupled with low yield in Kurnool have pushed the price of tomatoes to a record Rs 80 a kilogram for the first time at the Pathikonda wholesale tomato market here on Tuesday.
The price of tomato has been on an upswing ever since the beginning of the current season, and has shot up to Rs 8,000 per quintal at the market on Tuesday. The Pathikonda market is one of the largest exporting tomato yards in the State and farmers from the entire district as well as from the neighbouring Anantapur, bring their produce to the market.
The wholesale price hike reflected in the retail markets and at some places, vendors were selling tomatoes for Rs 100 a kilogram. Incidentally, tomatoes were priced Rs 4 a kilogram in August. “This hike may continue till December-end and may also cross Rs 120 per kg,” agricultural marketing officials told TNIE.
Pathikonda market yard secretary M Sreenivasulu attributed the price hike to the rising demand from other neighbouring states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, where the tomato farmers had suffered huge loss due to heavy rains and floods. “I have never seen tomatoes getting such a high price,” Sreenivasulu, who has been working in the yard since 1996, said.
At least 100 tonnes of tomatoes were being exported to the other States daily. As much as 75 per cent of the daily arrivals were being exported, he added. However, the yield has been insufficient and only 40 tonnes stock arrived on Tuesday. The farmers were upbeat over the high prices at wholesale market yards in Pathikonda, Aspari and Yemmiganur.
“This is the highest rate of this season in the district’s history,” G Venkateswarlu, a farmer from Aspari in Aluru, said. “Good days are back as we are getting good prices for our produce after facing severe losses last year,” he added. Last year, several farmers like Venkateswarlu, had sold their crop for less than Rs 2 to a maximum of Rs 10 a kilogram.
He added scant rains affected the crops in the district this year and the yield dropped by almost 50 per cent. Horticulture department officer B Raghunath Reddy said, “if there is lesser quantity of produce in the market, there will be high demand and farmers will drive the price.” “Tomatoes are cultivated in nearly 15,000 hectares in the district and with less rain in the district, the yield has been reduced to 60 per cent of the normal harvest this year,” he added.