Tomato prices have collapsed across Andhra Pradesh, leaving farmers in severe crisis. In several markets, growers are being forced to sell their produce at just ₹2 per kg — far below the cost of cultivation. Markets are flooded with tomatoes, but there are no adequate buyers, and the government has so far failed to step in with meaningful support.
Farmers from various districts are dumping crates of tomatoes or selling them at throwaway prices simply to recover something. Many are alleging that the present TDP-led government is remaining a mute spectator even as the crisis deepens. “There is no support, no intervention, and no procurement mechanism working on the ground,” farmers are saying.
Contrast with the Previous Government
During the YSRCP government under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the administration had actively intervened when tomato prices fell:
- 8,460 metric tonnes of tomatoes were procured,
- Farmers received an average price of around ₹18 per kg through government support mechanisms.
This stand is being contrasted with the current situation, where farmers claim they are being left to the mercy of the market with no safety net.
Ground Reality
In several markets, More than 25,000 acres are under tomato cultivation in Chittoor and Annamayya districts, including Madanapalle and surrounding areas. Large quantities of tomatoes are arriving daily, but demand remains weak. The lack of cold storage, limited processing facilities, and absence of timely government procurement have aggravated the problem. Farmers who invested heavily in cultivation are now staring at heavy losses.
The crisis has once again highlighted the vulnerability of horticulture farmers when market prices crash and institutional support is missing. With tomato prices hitting rock bottom, the demand for immediate government intervention — through procurement, market intervention schemes, or price stabilisation measures — is growing louder.
