Tomato farmers, who were in the news a month ago as they were making good money, are now facing heavy losses due to the fall in prices. The vegetable, which was selling at around Rs 200 per kg in Hyderabad, is now going at around Rs 24 in the retail market in the city. While in AP, after breaching Rs 218 per kg in the wholesale market, it is now being sold for Rs 11 per kg.
The soaring prices had resulted in tomatoes going missing from most kitchens since June after tomato production was impacted. As the prices rose in June, many farmers started cultivating tomatoes, ignoring crops such as onions and cauliflower, anticipating huge returns. But now they have ended up in losses as prices have crashed.
Meanwhile, agriculture experts predicted that tomato prices were likely to fall further as huge quantities of the crop are ready for harvest across Andhra Pradesh.
[ Rs 100 = €1.10 ]
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com