TIRUPATI: The Chittoor district tomato market is facing another slump due to low demand and oversupply, leaving farmers in areas such as Palamaner, Kuppam, and V Kota struggling to recover their investments.
Despite the decline in farmgate prices, urban consumers continue to pay high rates, with tomatoes selling for Rs 30 per kg in towns like Tirupati and Chittoor, while farmers receive only Rs 10 per kilogram. Wholesale markets in Palamaner, V Kota, and Gangavaram were selling 15-kg tomato crates for Rs 150 on Friday, highlighting a sharp price disparity causing significant losses for farmers.
The market downturn is attributed to reduced demand from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Delhi. Middlemen from Karnataka’s Kolar tomato market are reportedly purchasing tomatoes at nominal rates and reselling them at higher prices elsewhere. Tomato prices as of April 5 in erstwhile Chittoor district stood as Rs 11 per kg at Madanapalle market, Rs 8-Rs 10 per kg at Palamaner, Rs 9 per kg at Kalikiri.
Meanwhile, first-grade tomatoes were selling for Rs 30 per kg in Tirupati, Chittoor, and Srikalahasti, while second-grade produce was priced at Rs 20 per kg. Middlemen are reportedly making a minimum profit of Rs 15 per kg, widening the gap between farm prices and consumer rates.
Farmers in the district continue to struggle with investment recovery in tomato cultivation. Recent data indicates the average price in Kolar market at Rs 460 per quintal (Rs 4.60 per kg), with prices ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 800 per quintal. Chittoor district markets follow pricing trends set by middlemen in the Kolar market. The absence of storage facilities prevents farmers from holding their produce for future price hikes, exacerbating losses.
Tomato cultivation is also widespread in neighboring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, further diminishing demand for local produce. Around 25,000 hectares of tomatoes were cultivated in Chittoor district during this season.
Shiva Sankar, a tomato farmer from Kalikiri, shared his struggles, stating that he had invested Rs 1 lakh per acre across five acres of cultivation but was unable to recover even transportation costs. Disheartened, he abandoned the crop without harvesting. “I hoped for good returns, but this sudden slump is disappointing,” he told TNIE.
His experience reflects the growing concerns among local farmers amid the market downturn.