Karnataka: Farmers Forced To Dump Tomato Harvest BY The Roadside As Bumper Harvest Goes Unsold

Farmers in Karnataka’s Kolar have dumped crates of tomatoes by the roadside this week after their produce went unsold in the district’s APMC market. It is the second largest tomato market in Asia. Kolar APMC receives tomatoes from five districts in south Karnataka, with the crop being cultivated over 10,000 acres in Kolar district alone. In the current crop season, farmers had cultivated tomatoes over large tracts and were expecting a good price. However, the uncertainties caused by different states imposing a lockdown as well as retail outlets being shut had resulted in a glut of produce, said traders at the APMC. He said good quality tomatoes at the APMC were sold for up to Rs 200 for a 15-kg box, but poor quality produce can only fetch a few rupees for the same amount. As per the online data system of the APMC, the Kolar market has been receiving 1,200-1,700 tonnes of tomatoes per day. Reportedly, on May 22 farmers brought as much as 3,500 tonnes of the produce.