In this situation, due to the lack of supply of tomatoes for the last one month, the price of a 14 kg box of tomatoes went down from Rs.1000 to Rs.1500. Thus 150 to 200 kg of tomatoes were sold. Following the increase in tomato yields in the last few days, more than 50,000 boxes of tomatoes are being brought to the Ottansathram market daily, which has drastically reduced the price of a 14 kg box to Rs 30 to Rs 40.
This creates a situation where farmers incur losses when they see cart rental 20 per box and commission, the cost of picking tomatoes. Thus a kilo of tomatoes sells for 2 rupees to 3 rupees. In many areas farmers have left the tomato fruits unharvested on the plant. Farmers have been forced to dump the tomatoes back on the side of the road and in the woods as they are left with no one to listen to them at the Ottanchatram market, where a few farmers make a profit of ten rupees to twenty rupees per box.
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Farmers in the Ottanchatram area have demanded the Tamil Nadu government to set up a tomato juice factory here as more tomatoes are being produced annually.
Published by:Lilly Mary Kamala
First published:
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