Indian tomato farmers enjoying high prices caused by drought
During the last one week, the arrivals to the market remained fluctuating, but tended to be on the downward side. On Tuesday, the market received stocks to the tune of 293 metric tonnes, while it was 317 MT on Monday. In July 2016, the arrival was registered at 600 tonnes per day.
Now, half of the produce with first quality grade was exported to Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi. The second variety was sold in the wholesale at RS41 per kg, which in turn was priced at RS60-80 in the regular vegetable markets. The price is expected to go up in the next couple of weeks, even touching RS100 in the open market.
Farmers at the Madanapalle market had thrown away the produce in hundreds of tonnes daily when the price suddenly fell to RS1 per kg in June 2015. Two years since the event, they have reason to smile. About 10,000 farmers depend on tomato crops in the western mandals, covering an acreage of about 30,000 hectares.
source: thehindu.com
