From funny memes to frustration among farmers: A rollercoaster ride of tomato prices in Bengaluru

Earlier, the persistent leaf curl disease, which resulted in significant crop losses during the previous cycle, led to lower yields at the tomato growing regions of Karnataka. However, with increased inflow of tomatoes, although the prices have relieved the customers, farmers say they are facing huge losses.

In Kolar, the second largest tomato market in Asia, instances of the fruit going unsold in auctions and being discarded on the streets by frustrated farmers have also become common.

Seetharamaiah, a wholesale dealer, said, “A box of tomatoes (15 kg) now costs Rs 80 to Rs 100 and supply has overpowered the demand. Kolar played a pivotal role in supplying tomatoes to nearly the entire country from May to July when the crop faced failures elsewhere. In the first week of July, a 15 kilogram box of tomatoes reached an astonishing price of Rs 2,200, while on September 6, prices ranged between Rs 100 to Rs 150 per box.”

Sundaresh, a farmer from Chikkaballapura, said, “The market is oversaturated and the demand has plummeted. Prices have crashed to a level which doesn’t even cover our production costs, leading many farmers to abandon their produce. We are demanding the government to establish a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of at least Rs 10 per kilogram or the situation will only worsen.”

According to Ramesh C, a trader at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Bengaluru, tomato arrivals have surged significantly. “Given the exorbitant prices tomatoes had reached, there was a surge in tomato cultivation. During the last crop cycle, failures in Maharashtra and other regions led to substantial demand for tomatoes from Kolar and its neighbouring areas. However, with the arrival of the new crop in other regions, the demand from outside has dwindled. In June and July, buyers from all across the subcontinent flocked to Kolar. Now, almost no one from outside Karnataka is here. The focus has shifted to the Nashik market in Maharashtra,” he said.