1 week ago
Rayalaseema Farmers Hit as Tomato, Sweet Lime Prices Crash
Farmers in Rayalaseema are getting very little money for their tomatoes and sweet limes.
Tomatoes are selling to wholesalers for less than Rs 10 per kilogram in some markets.
Sweet lime is selling for about Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 per tonne, much less than last year.
This means farmers may not earn enough to pay for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, water and other costs.
One tomato farmer said he had a good harvest from four acres but still could not recover his investment.
A sweet lime farmer said the price would need to reach at least Rs 30,000 per tonne for him to make a profit.
A trader said the tomatoes were good quality but were sold for more in retail shops.
Officials said less tomato cultivation and poor irrigation water availability contributed to the situation.
Tomato prices have fallen below Rs 10 a kg in several Rayalaseema wholesale markets.
More than 100 tonnes of tomatoes reached the Yemmiganur market on Wednesday, where farmers received about Rs 10 a kg.
A-grade sweet lime was selling for around Rs 18,000 a tonne, down from Rs 70,000 in June last year.
Farmers said tomato and sweet lime prices were too low to recover cultivation costs.
Horticulture officials attributed lower tomato cultivation mainly to El Niño conditions and limited irrigation water.
- Who
- Tomato and sweet lime farmers in Rayalaseema, including farmers from Nandyal and YSR Kadapa districts.
- What
- Tomato and sweet lime prices have sharply declined, leaving farmers unable to recover cultivation costs.
- Where
- Rayalaseema, including the Yemmiganur market and villages in Nandyal and YSR Kadapa districts.
- When
- The tomato arrivals and prices were reported on Wednesday; sweet lime prices were compared with June last year.
- Why
- Officials cited the El Niño impact and poor availability of irrigation water, while farmers faced low market returns despite good yields.
Farmers’ concerns
Market and official perspectives
Whether prices are sustainable
Farmers’ concerns
Farmers said current tomato and sweet lime prices were not remunerative and did not cover cultivation expenses.
Market and official perspectives
A trader said the tomatoes arriving at Yemmiganur were of good size and colour, while retail prices were higher at Rs 15 to Rs 20 a kg.
Reasons for the market situation
Farmers’ concerns
Farmers focused on the gap between their cultivation investments and the prices they received despite good yields.
Market and official perspectives
Horticulture officials attributed reduced tomato cultivation to the El Niño impact and poor irrigation water availability, with farmers relying heavily on borewells.
Key facts
- Tomato wholesale price
- Below Rs 10 a kg in several wholesale markets; about Rs 10 a kg at Yemmiganur.
- Yemmiganur arrivals
- More than 100 tonnes of tomatoes arrived on Wednesday.
- Tomato retail price
- The same tomatoes were reportedly sold for Rs 15 to Rs 20 a kg in retail markets.
- Sweet lime price
- A-grade sweet lime was fetching around Rs 18,000 a tonne; one farmer reported about Rs 15,000 a tonne.
- Previous sweet lime price
- Sweet lime fetched about Rs 70,000 a tonne in June last year.
- Farmer profit threshold
- A sweet lime farmer said the price would need to reach at least Rs 30,000 a tonne to provide scope for profit.
- Reported causes
- Horticulture officials cited the El Niño impact and poor irrigation water availability as factors behind lower tomato cultivation.
Quotes
Kavuluru Sunil Reddy
Sweet lime farmer from Edigapalle village in Kamalapuram mandal, YSR Kadapa district
“The present price is not enough to recover our investment. We spent heavily on fertilisers and pesticides. Unless the price reaches at least Rs 30,000 a tonne, there is hardly any scope for profit.”
deccanchronicle.com
“Though the yield from my four acres was good, the price is not remunerative. It is becoming difficult to recover even the cultivation costs.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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