Weak supply pushes tomato prices up after brief tumble, Dharmapuri traders say – The New Indian Express
DHARMAPURI: At a time when the market price of tomato is stabilizing in the district since the supply chain is not yet restored, there is a sharp increase in the retail price, traders said.
Meanwhile, according to horticulture department sources, demand is high. As for Dharmapuri, there is no lack of supply, they assured. In other districts, market prices are at Rs 70-Rs 80, but only Rs 45-50 in Dharmapuri, sources added.
Tomatoes are one of the most widely grown crops with over 3,389 hectares in the district and over 60,000 tons produced annually.
Sources from the agriculture marketing department said supply was down two tons in Ulavar Santhai, but it’s still not a problem. Officials added that on average, Dharmapuri Ulavar Sandhai would receive more than 11 tons of tomatoes, but now only 8 tons are supplied. In the coming week, the supply will be regulated, they said.
Traders alleged that most farmers diverted their harvest to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where they reaped more profit than local markets.
A trader said that in the local market there is no profit, there is a high demand for tomatoes in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Corporate profits are therefore high. Therefore, most people just sell their products there. In addition, these two districts are easily accessible, according to sources.
S Sakthivel, a farmer from Karimangalam, said, “Tomatoes are grown all year round in Dharmapuri and are easy to maintain by the farmers. But they don’t bring much profit. Sometimes prices drop so much that farmers only receive 2 rupees per kg. , many farmers have abandoned tomato cultivation. Tomato prices rise very rarely. Even then, the benefits are meager.
K Gowrinathan, a farmer, said, “At present, in many parts of Tamil Nadu, tomatoes are in high demand. But the farmers don’t make much profit. Middlemen buy tomatoes directly from farmers and sell them to the most profitable market. the exploitation has disrupted the supply chain and therefore the market prices of tomatoes are abnormally high between Rs 45 and Rs 50.”