Tomato prices have dropped very low in Pune's wholesale markets. Now, tomatoes cost only ₹4-8 per kilogram. This is a big change from three months ago when prices were much higher. A crate of 20 kg tomatoes now sells for about ₹80-150, down from ₹300. This price drop is because there are too many tomatoes in the market from different regions.
Farmers have started growing a special type of tomato that produces a lot in just two months. This has led to a huge increase in the number of tomatoes available, affecting how much they cost both in wholesale and retail markets. Many farmers are having a hard time because they can't earn back the money they spent to grow their crops.
At the Narayangaon market, which is a major place for selling tomatoes, around 5,000 crates come in each day. However, this number is lower than last year's arrivals at the same time. This shows that tomato farming is facing serious problems due to the falling prices.
Some farmers are so upset that they're leaving their farms and destroying their crops early. While this might seem like a smart choice given the situation, it shows how badly the price drop is affecting them.
While people who buy tomatoes are happy because they're cheap, farmers are struggling to make money. This situation is very tough for the farmers who grow tomatoes.
To fix this issue, there needs to be a plan to help farmers. If things don't change soon, the way tomatoes are grown and sold in the region might change forever.
