VIJAYAWADA: Sudden fall in price of tomatoes is worrying the farmers who have cultivated the crop in huge quantities in Krishna district. Though they received good yield, many of them are hesitating to harvest due to fear of loss.
Farmers in the west Krishna region usually cultivate cotton and chilli for rabi season. After tomato prices crossed the 120-mark in open markets during early November last, farmers from Tiruvuru, A. Konduru, and parts of Mylavaram shifted to tomato cultivation anticipating good returns.
With adequate rains during November and December, farmers received huge yield and they anticipated good returns. But the sudden fall in the price of tomatoes came as a shocker to the farmers. Traders are offering 4 per kg at the field and many retailers are selling tomatoes at 10 per kg in city markets though marketing authorities fixed a base price of 12 per kg.
Price fall has affected the farming community severely. “We invested at least 35,000 per acre on tomatoes. But we are not in a position to recover at least 15,000 per acre. We are in a hopeless situation and we may end up in debt trap. Government should help us to get back our investment,” said K Srinivasa Rao, a farmer from Pulluru in Krishna district. Many farmers stopped harvesting tomatoes to avoid additional expenses. “We have to employ at least three labourers to harvest crops a day. Each labourer is paid 550. We are not even getting 800 when we sell the harvested tomatoes in the market. So we decided to not harvest the crop,” said another farmer Ranga Reddy from Tiruvuru rural area.
Marketing authorities said they have stopped importing tomatoes from Chittoor district and are promoting local crop.
