Kurnool: Tomato farmers in Kurnool district are suffering huge losses due to bountiful yields and low demand. This problem of plenty is so much that the prices have fallen to as low as 50 paisa a kilogram in Pattikonda and Rs 5 in Kurnool town.
At some places the vegetable is being gi-ven away freely or just being dumped. Exactly a year ago in 2013, tomato prices skyrocketed and were sold at exorbitant prices acro-ss the country. At its zenith, the vegetable would cost Rs 100 a Kg in Delhi.
“The market is being flooded with abundant quantities of tomatoes. There is heavy supply and low demand so the prices are falling drastically. Many nurseries are selling good quality tomato plants to farmers which are yielding great quantities of tomatoes,” said Sippa Reddy, a tomato far-mer at Kurnool vegetable market.
“Good quality tomato seeds are brought from Bengaluru to Madanapalle. Kurnool nurseries buy the seeds from Madanapalle distribution centres. We sow the seeds in small trays and grow them for 25 days and then sell them to the farmers,” said P. Sriramulu who runs a nursery.
Sriramulu said tomatoes can command a good price around Sankranti and during May and June months, if planted now.
As per Reddy, an acre of land needs 12,000 tomato plants, it takes two months for the crop to start bearing tomatoes. There will be good bearing of tomatoes for one- and- a- half months and then the yield will decline resulting in the uprooting of the crop.
“Twenty crates of tomatoes can be harvested from an acre of field each day and each crate will contain 25 Kg tomatoes,” said Reddy.
Tomatoes are grown twice a year in Kurnool district, the first season starts after Ugadi and end by Dhussera, the second season starts after Dhussera and will end before Ugadi. “A price of Rs 10 per Kg will breakeven for the farmers, a price of Rs 20 a Kg will earn a profit of 50 per cent for the farmers,” said C. Rajesh who works for a wholesale trader, in Kurnool vegetable market.
Last year, a quintal of tomatoes was sold for Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, now the highest price is Rs 800.
“There is no demand for Kurnool tomatoes in Telangana since Jurala irrigation project has been operational. Tomato cultivation was very less back then, now they are also growing lots of tomatoes,” opined C. Rajesh.
Rajesh added that the price of kg tomatoes can fluctuate and fall to 50 paisa right here in Kurnool vegetable market, not just in Pattikonda.
