Andhra Pradesh farmer earns ₹4 crore in 45 days selling tomatoes

During a period of 45 days, a farmer hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district managed to sell 40,000 boxes of tomatoes, resulting in an impressive income of ₹4 crore, all amidst the surging tomato prices in the country. 

Chandramouli, a tomato farmer with a 22-acre farming land, decided to cultivate a rare variety of tomato plant named 'Sahu' in the early weeks of April. Employing advanced farming techniques such as mulching and micro-irrigation, he managed to expedite the yield. His efforts paid off, and by the end of June, he successfully obtained a bountiful tomato harvest.

In the last 45 days, Chandramouli sold his tomato produce at the nearby Kolar market in Karnataka, which is conveniently situated close to his hometown. During this period, the price of a 15 kg crate of tomatoes fluctuated between ₹1,000 and ₹1,500. Remarkably, he managed to sell a total of 40,000 boxes of tomatoes within this timeframe.

"From the produce I got so far, I have earned ₹4 crore. Overall, I had to invest ₹1 crore in my 22 acres of land to get the yield and this includes commission and transportation charges. So, profits remain to be ₹3 crore," India Today quotes Chandramouli.

In response to the significant surge in tomato prices nationwide, the agencies NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation) took action by initiating the procurement of tomatoes from mandis (wholesale markets) in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The goal was to simultaneously distribute these tomatoes to major consumption centers where retail prices had experienced the highest increase in the past month.

The government cited the monsoon season as the main factor behind the price hike, explaining that it exacerbated distribution challenges and led to an increase in transit losses.