Farmers leave tomatoes in fields as price drops to ₹2 a kg-OxBig News Network

A file photo of tomatoes before they are loaded onto vehicles at the APMC market in Kolar.

Summer is the time when most fruits and vegetables get expensive. But in a twist of events, the price of tomatoes has crashed to as low as ₹2-₹5 per kg in Kolar district, which is a major vegetable growing belt in Karnataka. This has led to many farmers leaving the tomatoes in the field, unharvested during the onset of summer.

The farmers said the selling price of one box (15 kg) of tomatoes is anywhere between ₹30 to ₹200 (₹2 per kg to ₹13 per kg) at the Kolar Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC).  

“To get the labour to harvest the tomatoes and then transport them, we have to incur a cost of ₹70 per box. If what we are getting in the market is only ₹30 – ₹50 per box, we will go through a loss of ₹20 per box. There is no point in harvesting it and taking it to the APMC where we also have to pay a commission,” said Venkat Reddy, a tomato farmer from Kolar district. In both Kolar and Chickballapur districts, the situation is similar.

Tomatoes have sold at record highs in the last couple of years and the current prices are the lowest they have been in a long time. So, what has caused the price crash? Farmers say the prices have been falling for almost six months, more so in the last two months and now in the last few days have hit their lowest. Increased production, inflow from neighbouring states and reduced quality are also other reasons why the price has taken a hit.

“The exports have almost stopped in recent days due to the reduced shelf life of our tomatoes. We previously used to send them to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and many other South Asian countries. To send them to these countries from Kolar would take two to three days. But tomatoes are getting rotten in that period. The overall yield has not been high due to bingi (leaf curl disease) in the last five years,” said Nalini Gowda, president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Kolar district.

Bengaluru markets not affected 

While farmers are struggling with the crashed prices, the selling price of tomatoes in Bengaluru markets was around ₹25-₹30 per kg. The traders say there is a mismatch in the prices due to the logistical charges they have to incur. “Transport charges have only gone up now with the diesel prices. We have to pay by the load and irrespective of the prices of the commodity, we have to pay those transport charges.  Plus, we have to keep at least a small profit margin. Hence, we are selling at ₹25 per kg,” said Narayana a vegetable vendor in Yelahanka.