Farmers in Karimnagar unhappy over steep decline in tomato prices

Farmers usually sell 15 kg tomato baskets each between Rs 300 and Rs 400. But this time it fell steep to Rs 40-50 per basket causing worry.

Karimnagar: The steep decline in prices of tomatoes has resulted in huge losses for small and marginal farmers of the State, and many of them are struggling to even recover their cost.

In erstwhile Karimnagar district, tomato farmers are unhappy that the price of the crop has declined dramatically in the recent past. Though people were getting tomatoes at cheaper price of around Rs 10 per kg, farmers have been struggling to recover even labour and transport expenditure.

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Farmers usually sell 15 kg tomato baskets each between Rs 300 and Rs 400. But this time it fell steep to Rs 40-50 per basket causing worry. The prices of tomatoes have declined due to an increase in cultivation of tomatoes in Telangana and large quantities of them arriving from the neighboring States as well.

Since tomatoes are used in every other dish, there is huge demand for it in the market. Keeping it in mind, a majority of the farmers are cultivating crops in a big way. However, excess cultivation over the demand has led to fall in prices.

According to horticulture statistics, tomato is sowed in 400 acres in Karimnagar district. Conducive atmosphere and lack of pest attacks helped the farmers to get adequate yield this time.

On the other hand, traders are importing tomatoes from Chittoor and Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh and even Maharashtra. Since the supply of the crop has been increased, the prices in local markets declined.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Velpula Anil from Thimapur mandal said that he was unable to recover labourer and transportation charges due to the reduced prices of tomatoes.

Another farmer, Mathangi Anjaiah opined that though the rates of cultivation material have been increased abnormally, farmers were not getting benefits due to decline in the price. To sow tomato in an acre of land, it required Rs 50,000 investment to till land, mulching cover, fertilizer and labourer. However, they were unable to get at least investment, he said.