Kurnool farmers plan to reduce tomato cultivation due to heavy losses

 Kurnool: Farmers in both Kurnool and Nandyal districts cultivating tomatoes are planning to reduce the crop area and shift to other options due to a steady scenario of huge losses.

These districts produce approximately 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of tomato a year, but the farmers say the government is not responding to requests for support with an offer of support/remunerative prices.

In the open market, 25kg of tomatoes are currently selling for Rs 70-80. Last year, farmers cultivated tomatoes on around 23,000 acres in the two districts.

Normally, 8,000 acres are committed to tomato cultivation in the district. Last year, farmers cultivated tomatoes in around 23,000 acres of land in the combined Kurnool district that also includes Nandyal, an official from the agriculture department estimated. This year, they are planning cultivation of other vegetables.

In Nandyal district, farmers who cultivated tomatoes on around 4,500 acres last year suffered heavy losses due to a steep fall in prices. The situation was made worse for the farmers by heavy rains.

Farmers say some 12,000 saplings are required per acre. It would cost about Rs 30,000 per acre for cultivation and other inputs. More than 1,000 nurseries in the Kurnool and Nandyal districts were growing tomato plants for cultivation. However, the number has been reduced this year due to the lack of demand. “Only 1.50 lakh tomato saplings are being planted in nurseries in Madikeri and adjoining mandals,” an agricultural official said.

Tomatoes grown in December last year and January this year did not receive a remunerative price. Farmers are planning to start cultivation again by May end, but the area under cultivation would decrease.

According to farmer K Maddileti from Madikeri, a box of 25-kg tomatoes fetches just Rs 70-80 in the open market. This would not help farmers meet even the labour and transportation costs. As a result, the area under tomato cultivation is likely to be reduced, he said.

Alternatively, many farmers are interested in cultivating green chillies.

K Ramana Reddy from Adoni area said more chilli seedlings are being grown in nurseries instead of tomato seedlings. “Chillies are retailing at a remunerative price between Rs 40 and Rs 50 per kg. We hope to have a good yield and generate significant revenue this year,” he said.