CHALLAKERE (CHITRADURGA) : Tomato prices have taken a sharp downward turn after reaching the peak of Rs 200 a kg a month ago in Chitradurga and Davangere. The vegetable is being sold for Rs 2 per kg in the wholesale market and Rs 8 to 10 per kg in the retail market in the state. The prices plummeted to Rs 2 a kg at Chikkammanahalli tomato market in Challakere taluk on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A 15-kg tomato crate, which was sold for Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 a month ago, is not even fetching Rs 20-30 now, affecting farmers badly. “This will not help the farmers even recover the plucking cost and has pushed them into financial trouble. Many farmers who appointed private security guards to protect tomatoes a month ago have now left the crop unattended and people are free to pluck it,” sources said. Rangaswamy from Ajjanahalli village of Talaku hobli in Challakere has grown tomatoes on two acres by spending Rs 1.50 lakh and taken it for selling at Chikkammanahalli village. However, he was forced to throw it on the road when traders bid a crate for just Rs 30.
He said, “I couldn’t get the cost of growing this crop. As the quote was negligible, I have decided to throw it on the streets as a mark of protest.” He also requested the state government to set up food processing units in Chitradurga district, so that farmers can get value addition for tomatoes. Rangaswamy also said that the cost of plucking a crate of tomatoes is Rs 100. “Then how can I sell them for just Rs 30,” he questioned.
A trader at the state’s second tomato market, Venkatesh told TNIE that each crate of 15 kg of tomatoes was sold for Rs 20 to 160 at Chikkammanahalli market in Challakere on Wednesday. The trend has been the same for the past 10 days and farmers are not getting even the cost of plucking tomatoes, hence they are throwing it away in front of the market itself.
He said, “We used to sell nearly 40,000 crates everyday, but today we are getting only 5,000 to 6,000 crates. If we want to sell tomatoes in the Delhi market, we have to put them in big boxes depending upon the quality and it costs Rs 110 to 150 which is also not profitable.”
“We are expecting further fall in the prices, once tomatoes from Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh start arriving to the national market,” he said. Senior assistant director of Horticulture R Virupaksha said that excess production due to favourable weather has led to the high yield and resulted in the price crash.