KURNOOL: Tomato prices have crashed to just Rs 1 per kilogram at Pathikonda market, the largest market for tomato in Andhra Pradesh after Madanapalle in Chittoor district.
Most of the agents had been entering out-of-market settlements in past couple of days by offering just Rs 2–3 per kg to farmers. This was even though Rythu Bazar prices per kg was Rs. 15 and above per kg.
The price commanded by tomato at the farm level on Sunday was, however, just Re 1 or even less.
While this is so, Pathikonda marketing ADM Satyanarayna Chowdary maintained that at present quality tomato was selling at Rs 5 to Rs 7 per kg in Pathikonda market yard. He acknowledged that though the model price is Rs 3 to Rs 4 per kg, the minimum rate offered in the yard was Re 1 on Sunday.
A farmer said though the rate is only Re 1 per kg, what they are actually getting is below 50 paisa per kg after deduction of transport expenses and market yard commission.
The Pathikonda marketing ADM said nearly 18 tonnes of tomatoes have arrived at the Pathikonda market yard on Sunday. Other markets like Alur, Aspari and Yemmiganur received only 2–3 tonnes of tomato, he stated. The quality of tomatoes has been affected mainly due to untimely rains in the past month, said a market official.
