Tirupur farmers dump tomatoes as price plummets
In a scene of distress, huge loads of tomatoes were found dumped in the ‘Jammanai Odai’, with tomato prices plummeting to Rs 160 to Rs 200 per crate of 15 kg at the wholesale market in Thennampalayam.
Tomatoes thrown into drains due to low price in Tirupur
COIMBATORE: A sharp crash in tomato prices has forced many distressed farmers in Tirupur to dump their produce in ‘Jammanai Odai’ on Tuesday.
In a scene of distress, huge loads of tomatoes were found dumped in the ‘Jammanai Odai’, with tomato prices plummeting to Rs 160 to Rs 200 per crate of 15 kg at the wholesale market in Thennampalayam.
“Over the last two days, tomato prices surged moderately to Rs 200 per crate from Rs 110 to 150 last month. Till mid-September, tomatoes were sold for a reasonable Rs 400 per crate in the market. Prices witnessed a sharp drop due to bumper harvest and influx of tomatoes from Karnataka, where prices are even lower. Mostly farmers dump their second-grade tomatoes when they go unsold,” said T Mani (42), a farmer from Dharapuram.
He harvests tomatoes in his 60 cents of land and sells his daily harvest of around 30 crates in the Thennampalayam market, which receives an average of 50,000 crates of tomatoes per day.
“Even though I don’t get any profit, I am taking pains to sell my produce in the market as I don’t want to let it go to waste by leaving it unplucked. Tomato prices may go up in the coming days as the harvest season is drawing to an end, and if there are rains,” he said.
Tomato prices remained low except during festive times over the last year, say farmers. “Prices vary depending on the quality and size of tomatoes. The second-grade tomatoes are sold at a throwaway price of Rs 100 and even less per crate. I sold my produce for Rs 130. It’s a huge loss. Three years ago, the tomato prices peaked to Rs 1,500 per crate,” said T Venkadesh, a farmer from Jothiampatti in Kundadam.
With rising input costs, including labour wages, fertilizer, and transport, the farmers claimed that they have incurred heavy losses due to a sharp drop in tomato prices. However, the retail prices of tomatoes continue to be over Rs 20 per kg in shops as middlemen do not pass on the benefits to customers.
“I bought tomatoes for Rs 22 per kg at a supermarket near Ramanathapuram in Coimbatore. When the wholesale prices are low, why aren’t the retail prices high? If their prices are low, then consumption in households may increase, and thereby the produce may not go to waste,” questioned S Gayathri, a homemaker from Sowripalayam.
With tomato being cultivated on over 20,000 acres, mainly in areas like Jallipatti, Avinashipalayam, Koduvai, Pongalur, Sevvur, and Kundadam across Tirupur district, farmers have urged the state government to set up cold storage facilities to avert loss and provide training to farmers to make value additions.
