Tomato Prices In Pune Plummet In Wholesale Markets, Farmers Struggle With Losses
Tomato Prices In Pune Plummet In Wholesale Markets, Farmers Struggle With Losses
Pune: The price of tomatoes has dropped drastically in wholesale markets across the state over the past few weeks, creating a difficult situation for farmers.
A 20kg crate of tomatoes is currently being bought by traders from farmers at ₹80-150 (₹4-8 per kg), compared to at least ₹300 per crate a few months ago. The impact is also visible in local markets, where tomatoes are being sold for ₹10-20 per kg, significantly lower than ₹40 per kg at the start of the year.
The price of tomatoes is primarily influenced by their color and uniformity in size. Markets currently have a good supply of high-quality tomatoes.
Many growers believe that excessive supply from various districts over the past two months has led to persistently low prices. This has severely impacted farmers, making it difficult for them to cover labor costs. As a result, many have abandoned their plantations or destroyed crops prematurely due to the inability to afford plucking and transportation charges, traders said.
The Narayangaon tomato market, one of the largest wholesale markets in the state, reflects this situation. The market receives 5,000 crates of tomatoes daily, which is lower than the same period last year. However, due to an excess supply across all districts, there is a demand-supply mismatch. This situation is expected to persist for at least the next couple of weeks, with no immediate price increase anticipated.
Farmers also attribute the issue to new high-yield tomato varieties that allow for large-scale production within just two months. This season, many farmers harvested up to 5,000 kg per acre, significantly higher than the average production of 3,000-3,500 kg per acre. These hybrid varieties have been cultivated in large numbers across multiple districts, a senior APMC official from Pune Market Yard noted.
Cultivating tomatoes on one acre requires an investment of at least ₹1.5 lakh, with additional expenses for labor, packing, and transportation. Without favorable market rates, farmers struggle to recover their investments. A Tomato farmer highlighted the financial strain, stating that many farmers are on the verge of collapse when prices fall below expected levels.
Market experts predict that tomato prices will rise only during the monsoon. Growing tomatoes in summer is particularly challenging due to extreme heat and water shortages, requiring additional efforts to protect the crop, which further increases costs.
Farmers in Junnar tehsil have faced severe financial crises due to low prices, with several becoming debt-ridden. While a few success stories exist, such as a farmer earning nearly ₹1 crore last year, they remain rare. APMC officials attributed this season’s price drop to good rainfall and favorable weather, which led to an abundant harvest, resulting in lower prices in both wholesale and retail markets.
