Tomato prices sometimes get the farmers rich, sometimes they press them under the burden of debt. This time the falling prices of tomatoes have caused heavy damage to the farmers. They are not getting the fare to carry tomatoes to the market, far away. In Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, a tomato farmer threw many of his quintal crop on the road when the price is not available right. The farmer, desperate, returned home empty pockets.
The farmer of Hamirpur fed his 5 quintal tomatoes to stray animals. This farmer had reached the tomato vegetable market from his home, where he was expected to reach tomatoes from his house to Rs 30 per crate, but only 20 to 25 rupees crate was being purchased in the market. He was being paid only 2 to 3 rupees per kg. In such money, the cost of his yield was not coming out, due to this, he threw all his tomatoes in the market.
The case is of the Sadar vegetable market of Hamirpur district headquarters, where weekly vegetable market is settled. Rajkumar, a resident of Kusmara village of Kurara police station area in the market, had also reached to sell 5 quintals of tomatoes. When his tomatoes were bid here, it was just Rs 20 to 25 per crate. Whereas, the cost of bringing tomatoes from his house to the market was getting 30 rupees per crate. According to this, his tomato was being sold only 2 to 3 rupees a kg.
The rate of retail tomato selling in the market was Rs 10 kg. His cost was not coming out in this rate of the farmer. Forced he threw all his tomatoes in front of stray animals and went to his house in desperate. Meanwhile, a herd of animals broke to eat tomatoes thrown by the farmer. People who went to buy some vegetables also looted free tomatoes and took tomatoes to their homes. If the farmer believes the prince believes, the rate that is being available in the market is not getting the cost, it is good that the animals should be filled.
Amidst all the claims to benefit the farmers of governments, they are not getting the right benefit of their crops. There is no big vegetable market in the district, where farmers can sell their vegetables and send it to outside markets. Farmers have been demanding that the government should construct a mandi to try to give a proper platform to the farmers' yield, so that the bad farmer of Bundelkhand can strengthen financially.
