24 February 2025, New Delhi: Farmers in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, are facing severe financial distress due to a drastic decline in tomato prices. After a brief period of stability, market rates have crashed, leaving growers unable to recover their production costs. While traders remain relatively unaffected, farmers are bearing the brunt of the price drop, with many forced to discard their harvest due to unviable selling rates.
In key agricultural hubs like Aspari and Pathikonda, tomato prices have plunged to an alarming range of ₹0.83–₹4.15 per kilogram. The Pattikonda market recently recorded prices as low as ₹0.83 per kilogram. In response to the deteriorating situation, authorities have temporarily shut down the Pathikonda market. Earlier, prices had hovered around ₹19.92 per kilogram before falling to ₹9.96 last week, eventually hitting their current rock-bottom levels.
Despite these plunging rates, farmers are witnessing a stark contrast in pricing across different markets. While they struggle to sell their produce for as little as ₹0.83 per kilogram, reports suggest that the same tomatoes are being sold in external markets at ₹29.88 per kilogram. This disparity has deepened the crisis, forcing some growers to abandon their produce at marketplaces after traders declined to buy at such low rates.
In an attempt to stabilize the situation, local revenue and marketing officials have intervened to keep prices above ₹4.15 per kilogram in certain areas. However, this measure has done little to alleviate the burden on farmers, who continue to grapple with unsustainable transport and input costs, making it impossible to break even.
Farmers are now appealing to the state government for urgent intervention. K. Urukundu, a farmer from Pathikonda, stressed the need for a long-term solution to protect tomato growers from future price crashes. He reiterated the importance of reviving a previously proposed ₹12 crore initiative for establishing a tomato processing plant. According to him, such a facility would help regulate market fluctuations and ensure a stable income for farmers during periods of surplus production.
Additionally, growers have voiced their frustration over the absence of government action in market auctions, urging district agricultural marketing authorities to enforce fair pricing mechanisms. Without timely support, farmers fear they may be forced out of business, exacerbating rural unemployment and destabilizing the region’s agricultural economy.
As tomato prices continue to freefall, anxiety among Kurnool’s farming community is at an all-time high. With key markets shutting down and no immediate solutions in sight, farmers are calling on authorities to take decisive action to prevent further economic setbacks in the district.
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