Coimbatore: Tomato prices have plummeted from Rs 120/kg to Rs 10/kg, forcing farmers to cease harvest. The revenue from the harvest would not be sufficient to meet even the plucking wages, farmers claimed.

Farmers in some areas have even abandoned their cultivation. While in other areas both the plants and tomatoes are deteriorating.

The cost of plucking a kilogram of tomato will be around Rs 3 and it fetches only Rs 5 if sold in wholesale markets, the farmers pointed out.

If the costs for seeds, fostering and other operational activities are considered, then there is no point in relying on tomato cultivation for income because ‘it only gives huge losses’, they claimed.

Apart from cultivation cost, a farmer need to spend money to dispatch the harvest to markets.

The farmers were fortunate to get good rates twice this year. However, heavy rains turned villain. Both prices and production declined.

The Onam season is around the corner and the farmers are keeping their fingers crossed. They are also worried whether the harvest will be damaged with the arrival of the season.