Vijayawada: Agriculture and marketing minister K. Atchannaidu has directed officials to start collecting tomatoes from the Anantapur market for distribution in Rythu Bazars throughout the state starting Tuesday. He also emphasied the need to educate farmers on effective cultivation techniques such as staking and trellising.
Recent reports indicate a drop in tomato prices in Anantapur and Kurnool districts over the past two days. In response, the minister convened a review meeting with senior marketing officials and joint collectors to discuss solutions to the situation.
Tomato cultivation is extensive in Andhra Pradesh, with significant production in districts like Anantapur, Annamayya, Sri Sathya Sai, Chittoor, and Kurnool. Varieties grown include Sahu, Sahith, Bahuth, 2535, 440, JKTH 100, 555, and 448. During the kharif season, tomatoes are grown on 36,350 hectares with a production target of 15.27 lakh metric tons. In the Rabi season, they cover 17,834 hectares with a target of 9.81 lakh metric tons, and in summer, they are cultivated on 3,900 hectares with a goal of 1.37 lakh metric tons.
Graded tomatoes currently fetch between Rs 7 and Rs 23 per kilogram. With approximately 3,000 to 4,500 metric tons reaching markets in Anantapur and Kurnool, and quality issues exacerbated by recent rainfall, prices have dropped significantly.
In line with the minister's instructions, the marketing director has coordinated with joint collectors from Guntur and Anantapur to facilitate the collection of tomatoes from Anantapur for sale in Rythu Bazars across the state.
