India’s Tomato Crisis: Can Hybrid Varieties Arka Rakshak and Arka Abedh Save the Day?

As tomato prices surge to Rs 80/kg across India, two hybrid varieties from Bengaluru's IIHR could help stabilize the market. These tomatoes offer longer shelf life and disease resistance, but require wider adoption and increased cultivation area to be effective. Government promotion is essential for widespread success.

With tomato prices skyrocketing to Rs 80 per kilogram across India, a glimmer of hope comes from two hybrid varieties developed by Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR). These hybrids, Arka Rakshak and Arka Abedh, offer a shelf life of up to three weeks—significantly longer than the conventional 7-10 days. This advancement is seen as crucial for stabilizing supply chains that are increasingly disrupted by erratic weather patterns, particularly the heavy rainfall that has plagued tomato-growing regions this season.

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), emphasized the need to expand the cultivation area of these varieties to harness their full potential. ''We have developed a tomato variety that has a longer shelf life of three weeks. We need to expand the area under these varieties,'' said Pathak during the institute's 96th Foundation and Technology Day celebrations.

While Arka Rakshak, India's first triple disease-resistant tomato F1 hybrid, has been cultivated in 7,000 hectares and licensed to 11 companies, the newer Arka Abedh offers even longer shelf life and is suited for distant markets. IIHR has recently partnered with the National Seed Corporation to boost seed sales and increase coverage. However, their success in stabilizing market prices will largely depend on government initiatives to promote broader adoption among farmers.

(With inputs from agencies.)