As tomato prices skyrocketed across the country, prompting the common man to either buy less or stop purchasing the stable crop, a tomato farmer in Telangana struck gold. Farmer Mahipal Reddy’s luck took a positive turn as just over the course of just one month, from June 15 until now, he has managed to earn an impressive Rs 1.8 crore by selling his ripe red fruit, according to a Times of India report.
The 40-year-old farmer from Kowdipally village in Medak plunged into the high-demand market as tomato prices shot up. Currently, tomato is priced at Rs 200-250 per kilogram in several parts of the country due to disrupted supply chains caused by monsoon rains and other issues.
Due to the high price and insufficient supply from Andhra Pradesh, Reddy found an opportunity to fill the demand gap for tomatoes in the Hyderabad market. His produce fetched over Rs 100 per kg as tomato prices soared to unprecedented levels.
On eight acres of land, Reddy cultivated tomatoes this season, starting from April 15 and harvesting began on June 15. Speaking to the publisher, he said his produce was of A grade quality, and he took measures to protect the crop using nets against adverse weather conditions. Despite some crop loss due to excessive rain, he said he was confident that his total income this season will “easily exceed Rs 2 crore”. Currently, 40 per cent of the crop remains on my farm, he said.
Reddy’s journey to success was marked by several challenges. Approximately four years ago, he ventured into vegetable and tomato farming on 40 acres of his 100-acre land, with the remaining area dedicated to paddy cultivation. Understanding the right farming techniques took time, and he realized that profits don’t come immediately after the first crop. With an investment of Rs 2 lakh per acre for tomato cultivation, he discovered that good farming practices can yield significant returns in a regular season. This year’s exceptional crop and the soaring prices led to fantastic returns.
Reddy has successfully sold around 7,000 boxes of tomatoes, each weighing over 25 kg. Looking ahead, he plans to employ drones for fertilizing his paddy fields, using innovative techniques to reduce costs and boost yields.
The Telangana farmer’s success story is similar to that of Tukaram Bhagoji Gayakar, a farmer from Maharashtra’s Pune district, who made a staggering profit of over Rs 1.5 Crore in a month by selling tomatoes cultivated on his 12-acre land.
Selling a single crate of tomatoes for Rs 2,100 in Narayanganj, Tukaram realized the crop’s potential and quickly sold 900 crates the next day, earning Rs 18 lakh. Prices ranged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,400 based on quality.
In Narayanganj’s Jhunnu Agricultural Produce Market Committee’s market, tomato prices peaked at Rs 2,500 per crate (Rs 125 per kilogram).
The tomato-selling community in Junnar, Pune collectively generated Rs 80 Crore in recent weeks, benefitting numerous families and providing employment for over 100 women.
Similar success was reported in Kolar, Karnataka, where a family earned Rs 38 lakh in a week by selling 2,000 boxes of tomatoes.
Tomato Prices to Fall: Govt
The union government expects tomato retail prices to decrease with a higher supply of new crops from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Kumar Choubey said the recent price increase was influenced by factors such as crop seasonality, the white fly disease in Kolar (Karnataka), immediate monsoon rains affecting crops in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and logistics disruptions due to heavy rains.
Choubey said the average retail price of tomatoes reached Rs 150 per kg in Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the week of July 10-16. However, as of July 18, the average retail price in Delhi declined to Rs 130 per kg and Rs 127.70 per kg in Punjab.
To make tomatoes more affordable, the government is procuring them under the Price Stabilisation Fund and offering them at highly subsidised rates to consumers. The National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) are procuring tomatoes from ‘mandis’ in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, making them available at affordable prices in Delhi-NCR, Bihar, Rajasthan and other places.
(With inputs from agencies)
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