Date:12/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/12/stories/2008121252510300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Price of tomatoes crashes

Staff Reporter

Due to abundant arrival of tomatoes from the nearby villages

— Photo: N. Bashkaran.

Tomatoes aplenty: Traders separating tomatoes in Krishnagiri on Thursday.

KRISHNAGIRI: The price of tomatoes declined sharply in the Krishnagiri, Royakottai and Sulagiri wholesale market on Thursday. Wholesale traders of the tomato market in Krishnagiri said that the prices would fall further in coming days due to abundant arrival of tomatoes from the nearby villages.

Prices of tomatoes were at its highest last May and were sold between Rs. 40 to Rs. 60 a kg in Tamilnadu and neighbouring states. This was due to crop failure as a result of the shortage in rainfall.

For the last six months about 600 baskets of tomatoes arrived at the wholesale market from Veppanapalli, Theertham and Maharajakadai. However the arrival doubled in the last 3 days and the prices dropped from Rs. 110 to Rs. 90 per basket, said R.P.S Rajendran a wholesale trader.

Due to the abundant tomato yield in Andhra and KGF area in Karnataka, wholesale traders from Chennai are rushing to these places to buy tomatoes at a cheaper rate, he added. Wholesale trader K.V. Rajendran said he sends about one and half tonne of tomatoes to Salem market from Krishnagiri daily. Fresh arrivals from Andhra and Karnataka would cause a further drop in the tomato price. Tomato prices may also decline further due to the abundant yield at Macheri in Dharmapuri and Velanthakulam in Coimbatore area , said Dhandapani, a wholesale trader said.