The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Moves afoot to bring down tomato price

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Moves afoot to bring down tomato price

By V. N. Harinath

HYDERABAD, JUNE 8. CMEY and DWCRA groups, in coordination with the Rythu Bazar set-up, have been importing four to five lorry-loads of tomatoes a day from Madanapalle (Chittoor district) since Saturday for sale in Hyderabad and Vijayawada.

The tomatoes, totalling six to eight tonnes a day, are being brought here to tide over the situation that has arisen out of a steep increase in their price. The Joint Collectors of Krishna, Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam, Sampath Kumar, Vani and Piyush Kumar, are coordinating the import.

The price of tomatoes now varies between Rs. 20 and Rs. 25 a kg, well beyond the reach of the middle class. It may be recalled that tomatoes were selling at the throwaway prices of Rs .1.50 to Rs. 2 a kg until recently.

The price of the vegetable had fallen so low that dejected farmers simply dumped their stocks, either in fields or on the roadside. The Government then stepped in and, through the Marketing department, lifted the stocks from Chittoor and Nizamabad farmers at Rs. 1.50 a kg.

The Chief Executive Officer of Rythu Bazars, M. Jagadeeshwar, told The Hindu on Monday that the prices of vegetables during June and July were generally on the higher side due to fewer arrivals in the market. This also happened in other parts of the country, he said.

These days the price of tomatoes and beans had increased slightly, while that of most other common vegetables was mostly below Rs. 10 a kg, he said. He explained that prices varied according to two cycles - low in January-February and high in June-July.

He recalled that following a good arrival of tomato stocks in the market from Chittoor district in April this year, there had been a glut and the price of tomato had crashed below Re. 1 a kg. This was because the crop was harvested early, he said.

Reacting to the high price of tomatoes, he said, "We have a price stabilisation scheme that will come into effect after Rythu bazars and the Director of Marketing have been alerted. It will reduce the impact of middlemen on the price."

Mr. Jagadeeshwar said tomatoes of the local variety were now available at between Rs. 16 and Rs. 18 a kg and those of the Bangalore variety, used mainly in salads, at between Rs. 14 and Rs. 16 a kg.

He estimated the prices, per kg, of various vegetables thus: brinjal Rs. 6 (Rs. 8 last year on this day), lady finger Rs. 9 (Rs. 10 last year), bitter gourd Rs.10, ridged gourd (beera) Rs. 8 (Rs. 10 last year), french beans Rs. 12 (Rs. 20 last year), cabbage Rs. 6 (Rs. 10 last year), dondakaya Rs. 7 (Rs. 10 last year), carrot Rs. 14 (Rs. 12 last year) and green chillies Rs. 7 (Rs. 15 last year).

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