Kurnool: The price of tomato that hit the rock bottom at Rs 2 per kilogram last month has bounced back to Rs 36 per kilogram in Kurnool district where the crop is grown in 20,000 hectares of land, apparently bringing cheers to hundreds of farmers who were on the verge of a breakdown.
Pathikonda, the major market in the district, saw oversupply of tomato which resulted in crashing of price to Rs 2 per kg in September, but as the festivals are round the corner, the same market has jacked up the price of tomato to Rs 36 per kg. The retail market rates are 10 to 15 percent higher than the wholesale market. Farmers who resorted to distress sales are now a happy lot as their produce gets fancy prices in the wholesale market.
Neelakantappa, a farmer, said they were delighted at the prices in the market yard. However, he said he was unsure how long the prices would stay at the same level.
"The increase in prices caused a lot of problems for me. I buy only the necessary amount of tomatoes on a daily basis in order to avoid wastage," K. Ratnamala, a resident of Ganeshnagar in Kurnool city, said. While customers are holding their purses tight, the vendors too are facing a difficult period. V. Hanumantharao Chowdary, a vegetable seller in the main market of district headquarters, said a sharp fall in sales was witnessed these days. "The prices have gone up, particularly tomato has seen a severe hike," he said. “There is not much of a difference in the number of customers as vegetables are necessary for everyday needs, but regular customers buy lesser quantities compared to earlier because of high prices," Chowdary added.
The production was low in the district, especially surrounding areas of district headquarters, on which they largely depended, said M Ghouse Mohammed, another seller from C Camp Rythu Bazar in Kurnool city.
On the other hand, rains in some parts of the district, and increase in petrol and diesel rates resulted in a hike in prices in the vegetable markets across the district. It was said that supplies from Karnataka markets to various parts of the district sharply came down owing to the incessant rains witnessed over the kharif season.
The retail price of tomato, during the onset of rains was about Rs 10 a kg for the last one-and- a-half month, but it has seen over 400 percent increase in October. The rate of almost all vegetables reached sky high compared to last month's prices. Anyhow, the rising prices of tomatoes and other vegetables hit consumers hard in Kurnool district. The prices doubled over the past couple of weeks and if the trend continues, a balanced diet with tomatoes will become a distant dream for many middle-class families.
