Ganjam: Tomato farmers in parts of Ganjam district are resorting to distress sales after a sharp fall in market prices, leaving many unable to recover even their basic cultivation costs.
Farmers said tomatoes are selling for as little as Rs 2 to Rs 5 per kg in local markets.
With prices so low, many growers say they cannot even afford to pay labourers to harvest the crop, forcing them to leave ripe tomatoes unpicked in their fields.
The situation has been reported in several villages under Ganjam block, including Sipakuda, Jharedi and Binchanapalli, where vegetable cultivation is a major source of livelihood.
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According to farmers, traders are reluctant to purchase tomatoes even at the reduced rates.
A crate weighing about 27 kg is fetching only Rs 50 to Rs 60 in the market, making it difficult for farmers to cover harvesting and transportation expenses.
In several cases, the cost of hiring labourers to pick the tomatoes is higher than the income from selling them.
As a result, some farmers have dumped heaps of tomatoes along roadsides after failing to find buyers.
Farmers said the situation could have been less difficult if cold storage facilities were available in the area, allowing them to store the produce until prices improve.
In the absence of storage infrastructure, growers are forced to sell their harvest at throwaway prices to avoid spoilage.
They have therefore demanded compensation from the government and the fixation of a minimum support price (MSP) for tomatoes.