Tomato prices surge in Kurnool
By : P.V. Prasad
Update: 2024-09-25 15:07 GMT
Kurnool: Tomato farmers in Pathikonda region are making hay as prices of their produce continue to rise in the local market. It fetches as high as Rs32 per kilogram with the lowest rates holding steady at Rs 18 per kilogram.
Tomato cultivation in Pathikonda is a major agricultural activity, with farmers planting crops across 4,000 to 6,000 hectares (10,000 to 15,000 acres) each season.
The farming results in an annual yield of over 23 lakh metric tons of tomatoes. The cost of farming varies depending on the method employed with traditional practices requiring an investment of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per acre while advanced trellis systems cost significantly more ranging from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre.
The region is home to several prominent wholesale tomato markets including those in Pathikonda, Aspari, Billekal, Devanakonda, Virupapuram, Peapully and Dhone. The Pathikonda market has emerged as the second-largest tomato market in the state, trailing Madanapalle market.
The Pathikonda market has seen good prices with rates exceeding Rs 3,000 per quintal last week. This market's peak season runs from August to February drawing farmers from both Kurnool and Nandyal districts.
Sales in the current season began in late August sparking hopes for a profitable season ahead.
The rise in prices marks a dramatic shift from recent market hardships. K. Chinna Ramudu, a farmer from Chinna Hulthi in Pathikonda, recalls the difficulties of previous seasons where farmers were forced to dump their produce due to rock-bottom prices, which dropped to as low as Rs 2 per kilogram.
The farming results in an annual yield of over 23 lakh metric tons of tomatoes. The cost of farming varies depending on the method employed with traditional practices requiring an investment of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per acre while advanced trellis systems cost significantly more ranging from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre.
The region is home to several prominent wholesale tomato markets including those in Pathikonda, Aspari, Billekal, Devanakonda, Virupapuram, Peapully and Dhone. The Pathikonda market has emerged as the second-largest tomato market in the state, trailing Madanapalle market.
The Pathikonda market has seen good prices with rates exceeding Rs 3,000 per quintal last week. This market's peak season runs from August to February drawing farmers from both Kurnool and Nandyal districts.
Sales in the current season began in late August sparking hopes for a profitable season ahead.
The rise in prices marks a dramatic shift from recent market hardships. K. Chinna Ramudu, a farmer from Chinna Hulthi in Pathikonda, recalls the difficulties of previous seasons where farmers were forced to dump their produce due to rock-bottom prices, which dropped to as low as Rs 2 per kilogram.