Vegetable farmers in Mysuru and surrounding regions have been left high and dry amidst a vigorous monsoon that has inundated vast swathe of vegetable tracts, raising concern of depleting yield and losses. Tomato farmers are among the worst affected, leaving the farmers vulnerable to fluctuating prices.
‘’This season has been particularly harrowing for vegetable cultivators as incessant rains during the current monsoon spell have left agricultural fields with stagnant water. As a result the vegetables cannot be harvested and are rotting in the field’’, said Nagaraj, of Raita Mitra Mysuru-Chamarajanagar Vegetable Cultivators Association.
He said the input cost per acre for cultivating tomatoes is anywhere between ₹40,000 and ₹50,000 but the farmers were staring at loss this year. Two months ago the rates were around ₹80 per kilo of tomato and now it is hovering around ₹3 a kilo, said Mr. Nagaraj.
[ ₹100 = €1.20]
Source: thehindu.com