Tomato prices crash in Gadwal, farmers feed crop to cattle
GADWAL: Tomato prices have fallen by more than 80% in 20 days, leaving farmers in Gadwal struggling to recover even the cost of harvesting. Some farmers are now feeding the crop to cattle as they cannot afford to transport it to the market.
Tomato boxes are currently selling for ₹150 to ₹300 depending on quality at the market. After expenses, farmers are receiving only ₹95 to ₹200 per box.
Farmers struggle to recover harvesting costs
A farmer gets only ₹95 when a box of tomatoes is sold for ₹150. Transporting one box from Dharur to the Gadwal vegetable market costs ₹30 by auto. The market commission is ₹15 per box, while loading and unloading costs another ₹10.
For a 25kg box sold at ₹150, a farmer is left with only ₹95 after these expenses. Once cultivation and harvesting labour costs are included, farmers are facing losses instead of making a profit.
Prices fall from ₹1,000 to ₹300 in 20 days
Tomato prices were much higher about 20 days ago, with a box selling for ₹700 to ₹1,000. However, increased local cultivation has brought large quantities of tomatoes into the market, prompting commission agents to lower prices.
With costs mounting, some farmers are avoiding the market altogether and feeding tomatoes to cattle. Others are leaving the tomatoes unharvested in their fields.
