Chikkaballapur / Bengaluru: Tomato farmers in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka, are grappling with significant financial losses due to a sharp decline in market prices, which has left many struggling to recover even their basic cultivation costs.
Farmers reported spending nearly ₹2 lakh to cultivate tomatoes on one acre, yet the current market prices hover between ₹60 and ₹100 per box. This situation makes it nearly impossible for them to recoup their investments. One devastated farmer shared that despite the extensive efforts involved in harvesting and transporting tomatoes to the market, they are failing to cover even their labor expenses.
The production costs for a single box of tomatoes weighing 13-14 kilograms are estimated at around ₹200, factoring in expenses related to labor, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. However, prevailing market prices are drastically lower than these costs, pushing many growers into severe financial distress.
At the Chikkaballapur APMC market, farmers typically bring between 100 and 250 boxes of tomatoes each day. Unfortunately, the depressed pricing has rendered their economic situation extremely challenging. Growers contend that a minimum price of at least ₹150 per box is essential for survival, while a price of ₹300 per box would provide a more sustainable income.
Market analysts attribute this price crash to an oversupply of locally grown tomatoes from neighboring states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which has diminished demand in wholesale markets.
Farmers believe that an improvement in prices may not occur until May, as shipments to other states begin. Until then, they anticipate that low market rates will persist.
Many farmers expressed deep frustration over the ongoing crisis, highlighting how rising cultivation costs paired with unstable market prices are rendering agricultural practices increasingly unsustainable, despite their continued passion for farming.
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