Plummeting Tomato Prices Leave Ganjam Farmers in Crisis

Tomato farmers in Odisha's Ganjam district are struggling as prices plummet to as low as Rs 3 to Rs 5 per kg. This has forced some into distress sales or abandoning their crops. Contributing factors include a bumper crop leading to an oversupply and a lack of processing facilities.

In Odisha's Ganjam district, tomato farmers are grappling with severe financial losses as prices have nosedived to Rs 3 to Rs 5 per kilogram at the farm, contrasting sharply with the Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kilogram at markets. The price collapse has been so devastating that many farmers, unable to cover even basic production costs, have resorted to distress sales or left their crops to wither.

Surath Pahan, a tomato cultivator from Satrushol village, highlighted the dire situation, stating, 'After spending so much time and money on the crop for the last three months, we are not even recovering the labour wages spent on harvesting.' On Friday, he sold around 15 quintals of tomatoes at only Rs 3 per kilogram.

The horticulture department's deputy director, Kand Jena, pointed out that the bumper crop this year has significantly contributed to this dramatic price drop. Additionally, the absence of food processing industries and cold storage facilities exacerbates the plight of tomato farmers in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)