Tomato processing units in Kolar, C B Pur

“Kolar and Chikkaballapur are the two districts which top the State in tomato production. The processing units are being set up to immune the farmers from suffering losses due to violent fluctuation in market price of the produce” said Karnataka Agriculture Produces Marketing and Processing Federation General Manager Dr Umesh.

He was speaking after inaugurating a district-level training programme on “tomato farming and marketing techniques” here on Thursday.

Various varieties

Dr Umesh said that the Federation would extend all possible cooperation if any private entity comes forward to set up processing units of horticulture produces in the district. He suggested farmers to grow NH521, NH2535, NH815, Shaktiman and Vybhav varieties of tomato, which are suitable for processing. Such varieties fetch market in abroad too, he emphasised.

Agricultural Produces Marketing Committee chairman Agalagurki R Chandrashekhar, who spoke on the occasion said that farmers are growing crops without any knowledge on the market demand. “Majority of the people view entertainment programmes instead of those related to farming, broadcast on television. Farmers have failed in accessing knowledge on market for tomatoes,” he remarked, calling upon farmers to grow crops seeking advice and opinion from scientists and market experts.

‘Traders cheating’

He postulated that only such farming would be a profitable venture. Chintamani APMC president Subbareddy said that most of the farmers are being taken for a ride by traders.
Chikkaballapur Agriculture Produce and Marketting Committee vice-president Mohan Murali, agriculture experts Dr Amar Nanjundeshwar, Dr Vasudev, Dr P R Zahir Pasha, Agriculture Marketing Board assistant director Pushpa Suresh and others were present on the occasion.  The programme was organised by Karnataka Agriculture Marketing Board, Agriculture Department and Union Department of Agriculture Marketing and Inspection, jointly.