In the bustling agricultural markets of Maharashtra, a grim spectacle unfolds. Tomato farmers, once selling their produce at Rs 200 per kilo, are now forced to let go of their ripe, red fruits for a meagre Rs 5. This drastic plunge in prices within a month has left the farming community in dire straits. Faced with the harsh reality of mounting losses, many farmers are resorting to abandoning their crops or destroying their produce in despair. The culprit behind their plight is a bumper harvest that has flooded the markets, leading to an imbalance in the supply-demand equationIn a shocking turn of events, tomato farmers in Maharashtra are experiencing an extreme downturn in their livelihood. The price of tomatoes has plummeted from Rs 200 to a meagre Rs 5 per kilo in a span of a month, pushing many farmers into dire straits
As per reports from the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board, the wholesale price of tomatoes has fallen as low as Rs 3-5 per kilo in some markets. This drastic decrease in prices is primarily due to a bumper crop this season coupled with a significant drop in demandThe price crash is a result of a bumper crop this season. The supply is more than the demand which is causing the prices to fall. The situation is grim as many farmers are forced to abandon their crops or even destroy their produce,” said an official from the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing BoardThe situation has worsened to such an extent that farmers are choosing to destroy their crops rather than sell them at these abysmal rates. They claim that the cost of harvesting and transportation far outweighs the price they receive for their produce
However, the current situation has highlighted the need for better market forecasting and improved storage and processing facilities to prevent such crises in the futureFarmers are appealing to the government for immediate intervention and financial assistance to alleviate their plight. They are seeking an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for tomatoes and better infrastructure to store their produce during periods of surplus productionIn response, the government has assured farmers that measures are being taken to stabilise tomato prices and provide relief to the distressed farmersAs the crisis unfolds, it is clear that the agricultural sector needs a comprehensive solution to avoid such price crashes in the future. This includes not just short-term measures like financial aid, but also long-term strategies like improving market forecasting and storage facilities to ensure the sustainability of the farming sector.
Tomato prices, which were once selling above Rs 200 per kg, have come down to earth today. A bumper decline is being seen in the prices of tomatoes in just one month. Tomato prices have dropped from Rs 200 to Rs 5 in a month. When tomatoes were being sold at Rs 200 to 250 per kg, the growers were also becoming rich. But today the farmers who grow it are in distress. There is sadness on the faces of the farmers. The situation is that in many places tomatoes are being sold at the price of Rs 3 to 4 per kg. Farmers are now being forced to destroy their crops Prices have fallen to Rs 5 per kg in Pune market. At the same time, the average wholesale prices of tomatoes in the three wholesale markets of Pimpalgaon, Nashik and Lasalgaon have fallen from Rs 2,000 per crate (20 kg) to Rs 90 in the last six weeks. In Kolhapur, tomatoes are being sold at Rs 2-3 per kg in retail markets, which was around Rs 220 about a month ago. Farmers in Junnar and Ambegaon tehsils of Pune district
The biggest reason for falling tomato prices is bumper production. Due to this the prices have fallen significantly. According to Sachin Holkar, a Nashik-based agriculture activist, “Minimum support price (MSP) for tomatoes and onions is the only way to stop such market fluctuations.” There are some farmers who have been successful in selling their produce, even at throwaway prices. He said that they have not been able to recover even half of their costs. To grow tomatoes on one acre of land, a farmer needs a capital of Rs 2 lakh. Upcoming IPO: Opportunity to earn bumper this week! 3 big IPOs are going to open, know all the details including price bandstarted abandoning tomato cultivation as prices fell in wholesale markets in the last few weeks. Nearly 2 lakh crates of tomatoes are being auctioned every day at Pimpalgaon APMC, Maharashtra’s largest wholesale tomato market
According to data provided by the state agriculture department, the average area under tomato in Nashik district is around 17,000 hectares. It produces 6 lakh metric tons. But this year tomato cultivation has doubled to 35,000 hectares. Whose estimated production is 12.17 lakh metric tons. According to Sharad Gongde, secretary of DPI, “In July, when wholesale prices reached Rs 3,200 per crate in Narayangaon market in Pune district, many farmers started cultivating tomatoes in the hope of windfall profits. Their calculations after bumper yields It went wrong Kothale village in Solapur district, destroyed the entire tomato crop grown in his one-and-a-half-acre farm as harvesting the produce and taking it to the fields would have resulted in huge losses for him. According to the farmer, he had to spend Rs 8,500 for harvesting and transport 100 crates (23 kg each) to the nearby Modnimb mandi. From this he could not earn more than Rs 4,000 per crate. Whereas he had spent about one lakh rupees on the plants