DHARMAPURI: At a time when the market price of tomato has been stabilising in the district since the supply chain is yet to be restored, there is a severe increase in the retail price, stated traders.
Meanwhile, horticulture department sources said, the demand is high. As far as Dharmapuri is concerned there is no lack of supply, they assured. In other districts, the market prices are at Rs 70-Rs 80, but only Rs 45-50 in Dharmapuri, sources added.
Tomatoes are one of the most cultivated crops in over 3,389 hectares in the district and over 60,000 tonnes of output annually.
Sources in the Agriculture marketing department said supply has reduced by two tonnes in the Ulavar Santhai, but it still is not an issue. Officials added that, on average, Dharmapuri Ulavar Sandhai would receive over 11 tonnes of tomatoes, but now only 8 tonne are supplied. In the upcoming week the supply will be regulated, they said.
Traders alleged that most farmers divert their yield to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where they fetch more profit than local markets.
A trader said, in the local market there is no profit, there is a high demand for tomatoes in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. So the profits businesses earn there are high. Hence most people just sell their produce there. Moreover, these two districts are easily accessible, sources said.
S Sakthivel, a farmer from Karimangalam said, "Tomatoes are cultivated all year in Dharmapuri and are easy to maintain by farmers. But they do not fetch much profit. Sometimes, the prices drop so badly that farmers get only Rs 2 per kg. So, many farmers abandoned tomato cultivation. Very rarely tomato prices rise. Even then, profits are meagre."
K Gowrinathan, a farmer said, "At present, in many parts of Tamil Nadu tomatoes are in high demand. But farmers do not make much profit. The middlemen procure the tomatoes directly from the farmers and sell them at the maximum profit market. This exploitation has disrupted the supply chain and so the market prices of tomatoes are unusually high between Rs 45 and Rs 50."