The drastic fall in tomato buying price has the growers in Anantapur district up in arms against the State government for its lack of support in stabilising the market. While the retail price is close to ₹15 a kg, the grower gets just ₹2 a kg, not allowing him to even recover his investment, which is ₹45,000 an acre.
There are 16 private market yards within 2 km radius of Anantapur town exclusively for tomatoes, but the price offered by the private buyers is meagre. The highest price offered for the majority of the produce that lands at these places is ₹30 for a 15 kg box (@₹2 a kg with only a very small quantity sold at ₹60 to 70 for a 15-kg carton.
The State government has not made any arrangements to purchase tomatoes in Anantapur despite several representations, says AIKS district secretary R. Chandrasekhar Reddy. They have been demanding ₹20 a kg as remunerative price but many farmers say even ₹10 a kg would be a break-even.
If the State government starts at least one purchase centre, the privates ones would be forced to offer better price, he says. As per the marketing department norms, 2% commission can be charged on the quantum of trade done at the market yard, but most of these private market yards charge 10%, he says.
Following the expansion of the cropped area with drip irrigation becoming popular, the quantum of produce coming into the market has phenomenally increased but there is no juice-making unit for value-addition and increasing the shelf life of tomatoes, the growers point out.
