Too hot to handle: Tomato turns dearer, sells at Rs 100 a kg in Andhra
The agriculture department decided to sell tomatoes at subsiding prices. It has set up special counters at the Rythu Bazaars
By Sri Lakshmi Muttevi Published on 21 May 2022 6:04 AM GMT
Tirupati: Tomatoes prices have skyrocketed in Andhra Pradesh. A kilo of tomato is selling at Rs 100 in the retail market. The wholesale rate of tomatoes is Rs 70 per kilo. Tomato sells at Rs 100-120 in Tirupati and Chittoor and Annamayya districts.
Tomato is a staple food of people in Andhra. For the last few months, price fluctuation has affected the household budgets across the state. Two months ago, the prices dropped to Rs 2 in Madanapalle of Annamayya district, which is the biggest tomato market. Now, the price is between Rs 80-120. The rise in prices is likely to continue for 10 days.
Why rise in price?
Prices had dropped since January and farmers did not sell their crops. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, they could not increase the cultivation.
Shortage
Local farmers are selling huge quantities to buyers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka. This has resulted in a shortage of tomatoes in Andhra Pradesh.
How much does AP produce?
Andhra Pradesh produces approximately 24.50 lakh metric tonnes of tomatoes annually. About 58,000 hectares of land are under tomato cultivation. Madanapalle market, the largest wholesale producer, gets 190-240 metric tons of tomatoes daily.
Special counters
The agriculture department decided to sell tomatoes at subsiding prices. It has set up special counters at the Rythu Bazaars. Agriculture and Marketing Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy has asked the officials to bring the situation under control. The state will also procure tomatoes from wholesalers in Solapur, Raipur, and Delhi. The produce will be sold at a subsidized price at selected Rythu Bazaars. After setting up counters, many Rythu Bazaars witnessed serpentine queues
