Maharastra farmers destroying tomato crops as prices fall from Rs 200 a month ago to just Rs 2-3 per kg
The price of tomatoes in Maharashtra has plummeted from around Rs 200 per kilogram just a month ago to as low as Rs 3-5 per kilogram, leaving tomato growers in the state grappling with significant losses and few options. This sudden decline in prices was triggered by an unexpectedly high tomato yield, catching everyone involved in the sector off guard,, the Times of India has reported today.
As per the report, many farmers are either abandoning their tomato crops or are destroying their produce, as they cannot even recover half of their investment.
A farmer typically requires Rs 2 lakh in capital to cultivate tomatoes on a one-acre plot.
In Pune, tomato prices have plunged to as low as Rs 5 per kilogram in the market. In Nashik, the average wholesale tomato prices have dropped significantly over the past six weeks, plummeting from Rs 2,000 per crate (20 kilograms) to Rs 90 at the three wholesale mandis in Pimpalgaon, Nashik, and Lasalgaon.
The situation is equally dire in Kolhapur, where tomatoes are now being sold at Rs 2-3 per kilogram in retail markets, compared to around Rs 220 per kilogram just a month ago.
Farmers in Junnar and Ambegaon tehsils in Pune district have been abandoning tomato plantations as prices dipped in the wholesale markets over the past few weeks.
The largest wholesale tomato market in Maharashtra, Pimpalgaon APMC, is currently auctioning approximately 2 lakh crates of tomatoes daily.
According to statistics from the state agriculture department, the average tomato acreage in Nashik district is around 17,000 hectares, with a production of 6 lakh metric tonnes.
