Tomato rates drop in Karnataka markets as excessive production leads to glut
In Kolar and Chickballapur districts which form a major part of the vegetable growing belt near Bengaluru, the price of one box of tomato (15 kg) has dropped from ₹800 to ₹1,000 per kg to a mere ₹250 to ₹400 per box.
| Photo Credit: file photo
This festive season has brought no cheer for tomato farmers in Karnataka, especially in Kolar, as prices have plummeted in the last month. The farmers have identified excessive production, reduced shelf life owing to virus attacks, and reduction of export to Bangladesh as the three factors for the price drop.
In Kolar and Chickballapur districts which form a major part of the vegetable growing belt near Bengaluru, the price of one box of tomato (15 kg) has dropped from ₹800 to ₹1,000 per kg to a mere ₹250 to ₹400 per box.
“A few weeks ago, only around 3 lakh boxes used to come to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Kolar. Now, around 10 lakh boxes are coming owing to increased production. Apart from what we grow here and in the neighbouring districts, tomatoes from even Andhra Pradesh are coming to Kolar,” said Venkat Reddy, a tomato farmer from Kolar.
He said that unlike earlier months when there was a lot of movement of tomato from one State to the other, owing to many farmers choosing to cultivate it at the same time, the movement has stopped now.
“In every State, its own supply is being sold now. In Andhra Pradesh, the supply is so much that it is coming to Karnataka. While we have been struggling with the virus which has affected tomato for the last three years, they do not have that problem. Hence their stock is selling for a higher price than ours,” Mr. Reddy explained.
Tomatoes affected by the virus have lesser shelf life compared to those which are not. By the time the farmers harvest the tomatoes and transport them to other places, which takes around five to six days, the produce lose their quality.
Many farmers also reported that with prices dropping, they have not even harvested the tomato on their fields. Some of them are also dumping their produce on the streets. “What is the point in paying for labour and transport when we cannot even break even when we take it to the market?” asked a farmer. Most of them spend at least ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh per acre for cultivation of tomato.
The farmers also stated that the ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh has affected the sales of tomatoes in Kolar by 30%. “Every day, around 5,000 to 10,000 crates of tomatoes used to go from here to West Bengal from where it was exported to Bangladesh. In the last few days, not even one or two crates are going there. Hence even that stock has to be sold in local markets which has led to a glut,” said Manjunath, another farmer from Kolar.
After selling at over ₹100 per kg, tomato is now being sold at anywhere between ₹20 and ₹30 per kg in Bengaluru markets. In the next few months, the price of tomato is expected to continue in the same trend.
“Only by Deepavali, when the glut in the market is expected to go down, the price of tomato will increase,” Mr. Reddy said.
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