As per the ANI, a farmer from Pune, Ishwar Gayakar, has taken advantage of the soaring prices of tomatoes in various cities. He claims to have made over Rs. 2.8 crore by selling tomatoes. Ishwar and his wife, who are from Pune's Junnar taluka, have set a goal to earn Rs. 3.5 crore by selling the remaining stock of approximately 4000 crates of tomatoes. Ishwar Gaikar has been cultivating tomatoes on his 12-acre farm for the past six to seven years, enduring losses along the way but never losing hope.
Although he faced a loss of Rs 18-20 lakhs in 2021, he persevered. This year, he has cultivated tomatoes on 12 acres and has sold about 17,000 crates at prices ranging from Rs 770 to Rs 2311 per crate, resulting in a total earning of Rs. 2.8 crore. With an additional stock of 3000 to 4000 crates still available, he estimates his total earnings for this year to reach approximately Rs 3.5 crore.
Gaikar expressed his happiness about his success and attributed it to the blessings of his parents and grandparents, as well as the hard work of his wife who works alongside him on the farm. He believes that their combined efforts and support have led to the favorable prices they received for their tomatoes, bringing joy to the entire family.
Initially, Gaikar had anticipated receiving around 30 rupees per kilogram for the tomatoes he sold. However, this season turned out to be unexpectedly profitable for him, resulting in what he described as a "bumper lottery."
Having been involved in farming since 2005, Gaikar inherited the profession from his father and now works with his wife on their farm. In the past, they only cultivated tomatoes on one acre of land. However, since 2017, with the availability of labor, they have expanded their tomato cultivation to 12 acres. In addition to tomatoes, Gaikar also cultivates onions and flowers during their respective seasons.
The Centre has taken a step to provide relief to consumers who were burdened by the soaring prices of tomatoes across the country. On Sunday, the wholesale price of tomatoes was reduced from Rs. 90 to Rs. 80 per kilogram. This decision was made after a re-evaluation of the market situation by the Centre.
According to ANI reports, the revised price will come into effect on July 16 in various cities such as Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Arrah. The National Agriculture Cooperation Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Consumer Cooperation Federation (NCCF) will implement these changes. The expansion of the revised prices to more cities will depend on the prevailing market rates at the current locations. Previously, the price of tomatoes had been revised to Rs. 90 per kilogram on July 14.
