Hit by Low Prices, Farmers in Coimbatore Dump Tomatoes on Highway

Farmers who brought produce to Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore were disappointed by the sharp decline in prices and dumped one tonne of tomatoes on the highway on Monday. They dumped the tomatoes when no buyers showed up to purchase the produce and the procurement price dropped to Rs 50 for a carton of 15 kg.

"Up to Rs 75,000 per acre were spent. We will make money if the produce is sold for Rs 15 per kg. No buyer is ready to accept that price, so our only option left is to dump it" explained farmer R Periyasamy.

The cultivation of tomatoes has greatly increased in Dharmapuri as a result of the favorable climate.

However, the decline in prices has forced many farmers to sell to consumers directly for Rs 10 per kg rather than going through intermediaries or market agents. In Dharmapuri, tomato cultivation spans 9,300 acres. Over 60 tonnes are produced annually on average in the district. Farmers have rented automobiles and are selling it door to door as a result of declining procurement prices.

A farmer in Karimangalam named R Kumaresan said, "Last month, prices increased to somewhere between Rs 70 and Rs 80 per kilogram, encouraging many farmers to grow tomatoes. The tomato buds on the new varieties grow more quickly and begin to produce fruit in 30 to 40 days. The prices are extremely low as a result of this unexpected rise in output. Wholesale buyers are willing to pay Rs 5 to Rs 6 per kg for our produce. So, we have taken up alternate marketing to reap some profits."

P Krishnakumar, a different farmer from Nallampalli, stated: "Unlike the wholesale or retail markets, we offer competitive pricing on our products. Because tomatoes are difficult to preserve, we carry them from street to street using trucks. There is a lot of bargaining even though our prices are set at Rs 40 or Rs 45 per kg. Even though we make a very small profit, our rates are still more affordable than those of wholesalers."

When reached, a representative from the farm marketing division stated, "For the past 10 days, tomatoes are selling around Rs 10 -12. On an average, we get over 14 tonnes of tomatoes in the market. We are doing our best to keep the prices stable."