ADILABAD: With Telangana facing a huge shortage of tomatoes, major traders of Adilabad are importing the fruit into the state from Shivapuri near Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.
Generally, business persons of Adilabad import tomatoes from Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh and Bhagyapalli in Karnataka. They are also brought in locally from Warangal, Nizamabad and Karimnagar. But the standing crop in these areas had been badly damaged due to heavy rains and floods.
Adilabad businessmen are thus importing tomatoes in bulk from Shivapuri in UP, which is nearly 1,200 km away from Adilabad. Shivapuri is a big vegetable market, where tomatoes arrive in major quantities from nearby areas around this time.
Tomatoes are being imported from UP in truckloads of 450 crates, each crate containing 27 kg of the fruit. A crate is currently costing about ₹ 800. Some businessmen are also importing the product from Lathur in Maharashtra.
Price of tomatoes had touched ₹ 100 per kg a month ago. They are now selling at ₹ 50.
Gangaram, who transports tomatoes from Uttar Pradesh to Adilabad, said often, the price of tomatoes sold locally is based on what it costs in UP, from where he imports them.
Generally, the local tomato crop in erstwhile Adilabad district gets damaged in foggy conditions. Thus, many local farmers have suffered huge losses. The crop is normally grown in Indravelli, Gudihathnoor, Ichoda, Adilabad and Utnoor mandals.
