Tomato prices crash, Kolar farmers worry

KOLAR: Heavy rain has taken a toll on the prices of tomatoes in Kolar district. Rain has destroyed tomato crops and prices have crashed to Rs 50 per crate (15 kg). According to Vijayalakshmi, APMC market secretary, everyday 30,000 to 35,000 quintals of tomatoes arrive in the market.

“We usually send 140 truckloads of tomatoes to various parts of the country on a daily basis which has come down to 80 vehicles due to a drop in demand,” she said.

Sources said there is another reason for low demand in other states.

“Due to rain, a particular variety of tomato which is grown here, gets damaged. Traders from other states are not keen on buying that tomato variety as it takes more time to transport the produce from here. The prices will fall further if the same weather condition continues as the crop needs good amount of sunlight,” they added.