Ten tonnes of tomato will arrive in the Kerala markets from Andhra Pradesh on Monday as part of a market intervention measure launched by the Agriculture Department.
Procured by the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation (Horticorp) from farmers in Mulakalacheruvu, the tomatoes will be available to the public through the Christmas-New Year markets which are on till January 1, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad said on Sunday. The tomatoes will reach the World Market at Anayara, Thiruvananthapuram, in the morning.
The department had launched the market intervention programme after vegetable prices shot up in November following crop damage in the southern States. At one point, tomato retail prices had touched ₹120 per kg in the Kerala markets.
Subsequently, Horticorp started direct purchases from farmers in Mysuru and Tirunelveli to keep prices down in the open market. Last week, the Agriculture Department also launched the ‘Thakkali Vandi’ (tomato van) for retail sales of tomato at ₹50 per kg.
From Tenkasi
Meanwhile, vegetables from Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu will start arriving in Kerala from next week, the Minister said. Horticorp had struck a deal with seven farmer-producer organisations in Tenkasi district last week.
T.V. Subhash, Director, Agriculture department, will receive the tomato consignment at Anayara on Monday morning.
