Kurnool: Prices of tomatoes come down

Kurnool: Tomato prices which hovered around Rs 100 for the last few days have come down to Rs 40 a kilogram in the district. A 25 kg box tomatoes is being sold at Rs 500 at the agriculture market yard here. Two to three days ago, a kg tomato was sold at Rs 120 and at some places at Rs 140 per kg. The hike in tomato prices was due to incessant rains and devastation of tomato fields at Madanapalle in Chittoor and Anantapur districts.

Common people were forced to give up on use of tomatoes in curries. Most of the vegetable vendors in rural areas have downed their shutters owing to huge increase prices of all vegetables.. Almost all vegetables are being sold at Rs 80 to Rs 100 a kg.

However, with the flooding of tomatoes into agriculture markets from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states, the tomato prices in Kurnool district have reduced drastically.

A resident of Pathikonda said that the tomato growers are getting remunerative prices for their produce at the market. As 25 kg box is being sold at Rs 500 at the agriculture market, it comes to Rs 40 a kg by retailers. There is no loss to the farmers. The farmers would face loss when a kg or two of tomatoes were sold at Rs 1, said the resident.