Chennai, March 18

Tomato farmers across Tamil Nadu are facing heavy losses as prices have dropped to as low as ₹7 per kilogram in the retail market.

With production costs exceeding returns, many farmers have resorted to destroying their crops instead of harvesting them.

R.M. Senthilnathan, a farmer from Thumpichipalayam near Kallimandayam in Oddanchatram taluk, Dindigul, said he had spent over ₹5 lakh on fertilizers, pesticides, and fencing for his six-acre tomato farm.

“For the past two months, I have been harvesting around 20 boxes of tomatoes per day, with each box weighing 14 kg. Prices ranged between ₹200 and ₹280 per box. However, due to a sudden influx of tomatoes in the market, prices have plummeted to ₹7 per kg in retail,” Senthilnathan said.

He said,“With labourers demanding ₹3 per box for plucking, he said harvesting has become unviable. We have no choice but to destroy the crop and prepare the field for the next cultivation.”

In some areas of Dindigul, retail tomato prices have dropped further, from ₹10 per kg last week to ₹6 per kg.

Another tomato farmer, Umesh Kumar, stated that many farmers have stopped plucking tomatoes altogether to cut their losses.

M. Manikandan, a trader in the Oddanchatram market, explained the reason behind the price drop.
“Last week, tomatoes were selling at ₹170 to ₹200 per box (₹10 to ₹12 per kg). However, due to large-scale arrivals—over 200 boxes per shop daily—the price has now fallen to ₹4 to ₹5 per kg,“ he said.

Tomatoes are being supplied in bulk from villages such as Amarakudi, Poochukudi, Ayakudi, Reddiarchatram, Ambilikkai, and Kallimandayam, leading to an oversupply.

An official from the horticulture department explained that farmers had targeted tomato cultivation in Oddanchatram taluk due to favorable prices in October 2024.

Many farmers in Vadamadurai, located in Vedasandur taluk, also took up tomato farming. “The cool and pleasant climate has boosted production, leading to this surplus. This trend is expected to continue for the next few weeks,” the official said.

The crisis is not limited to Dindigul.

In Tiruppur, a 40-year-old farmer, Veerasamy R., decided to distribute his tomatoes for free to the public before destroying the rest of his crop.

“I spent over ₹1 lakh cultivating tomatoes on my two-acre farmland. But with transportation costs at ₹30 per crate and labor costs at ₹35, the current market price makes it impossible for us to recover our expenses,” Veerasamy said.

A month ago, he was selling tomatoes at ₹25 per kg. But as prices crashed to ₹7-₹12 per kg, he was forced to sell a 15-kg crate for just ₹100. “For three days, I sold tomatoes at this low price, but after that, I stopped harvesting. I allowed villagers to pick tomatoes for free, fed some to my cattle, and finally, I destroyed the remaining crop using a tractor,” he added.

Veerasamy noted that nearly 100 small and micro farmers from Karaipudur in Tiruppur have been severely affected.

He emphasised the need for a minimum support price of at least ₹25 per kg to sustain tomato farming.

A senior horticulture department official in Tiruppur acknowledged the issue, stating that high yields have led to the price drop. However, he predicted that prices might rise in the coming days.

“The government needs to take a policy decision on fixing a minimum support price to protect farmers from such losses,” he said.

Farmers across Tamil Nadu echoed the same demand, urging authorities to intervene and stabilize tomato prices.