AP farmers in distress as tomato prices crash

Vijayawada: Tomato farmers across Andhra Pradesh are staring at heavy losses as market prices have crashed following a surge in production. With farm-gate prices falling to as low as ₹2 to ₹6 per kilogram in several regions, many growers have stopped harvesting the crop altogether, choosing instead to plough their fields to avoid further financial strain.Tomato, a staple ingredient in Telugu households, is long known for its volatile pricing. While adverse weather conditions often send prices soaring, a bumper harvest can make the crop nearly worthless. In Oct and Nov last year, cyclonic conditions reduced supply, pushing prices up to ₹60 per kilogram. Encouraged by those returns, farmers expanded cultivation beyond traditional belts like Madanapalle and Anantapur into districts such as Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.However, since the second week of Feb, prices fell sharply due to excess arrivals and weak demand. Though tomatoes are retailing at ₹12 per kg in farmers' markets and up to ₹18 in urban outlets, growers say they are receiving only ₹2 to ₹4 per kg from traders.Murthy Raghavendra Rao, a farmer from Tiruvuru in Krishna district, said he invested nearly ₹2 lakh to cultivate tomatoes on 4 acres. "With pest issues and rising input costs, we expected better returns this season. Now, even harvesting costs nearly ₹1 per kg, and traders are unwilling to pay more than ₹4. I don't know how to recover my investment," he said.Farmers attribute their distress to the absence of cold storage and processing facilities. "Every year it's the same story — profits one season, complete losses the next. Without storage and processing units, we are forced to sell at throwaway prices," said P Sundar Rao of the Joint Krishna District Agricultural Association.Horticulture officials stated that steps are being taken to help farmers sell directly to consumers, but growers say immediate intervention is crucial to prevent deeper losses.