The district is known for tomato and the produce is transported to North Indian states and exported to foreign countries as well. As much as 2,000 quintal of the produce is arriving at the local market on a daily basis. The average price per box of tomato containing 15 kgs ruled at Rs 50, about fifteen days ago. However, with the increase in demand, the price has spurted to Rs 150 to Rs 250 per box. The crop is not grown in neighbouring states thus pushing up the demand in the local market. The end-users are dependent on Kolar market for tomato supplies.
Bitter lesson
There are two principal reasons for the decline in arrivals. Farmers had grown tomato in large quantities last year and the arrivals were also more. The price heads southwards with increase in the supply and the situation prevailed last year.
Farmers had suffered huge loss by growing tomato last year and the bitter experience prevented them from taking up the cultivation this year. This has contributed for the decreased arrivals.
Another reason for the decline in arrivals is the extensive damage caused by hailstorm that lashed the district recently. Standing crops in hundreds of acres were razed to ground on account of the natural calamity.
Meantime, there has been a recovery in the price for the produce. Farmers are now repenting for not cultivating the produce in large scale this year.
The price ruled at a maximum of Rs 600 per box June last year. Farmers take up the crop with the increase in prices and it had become a rule for farmers to sustain loss once the price comes down. The growers were unable to get right price for the produce partly on account of the fleecing by middlemen. The price naturally comes down in Kolar market once the produce from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh starts arriving.
The farming community battered by various problems including lack of a proper marketing facility, could heave a sigh of relief with the increase in price.
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