Haveri: Hundreds of tomato growers staged a road blockade on a national highway near the Chikkamanahalli market in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district on Saturday, protesting a sharp fall in tomato prices and alleging exploitation by middlemen.Farmers claimed that traders were arbitrarily reducing procurement rates daily. While a box of tomatoes fetched ₹100-150 until recently, the price reportedly dropped to ₹50-60 on Friday, triggering widespread anger among growers, who dumped tomatoes on the road as part of the protest.According to the farmers, cultivating, harvesting and transporting a box of tomatoes to the market costs at least ₹150. Selling the produce for ₹50 results in a loss of around ₹100 per box. Alleging that the govt had failed to protect their interests, the protesters blocked the highway and raised slogans against the authorities. Vehicular movement was disrupted for some time due to the agitation.Tahsildar Rehan Pasha, who visited the spot, acknowledged that farmers were incurring heavy losses because of the price crash and assured them that he would immediately bring the issue to the notice of the deputy commissioner.Horticulture department officer Kumarbabu attributed the decline in prices to a glut in the market. He said Kolar, the state’s largest tomato trading hub, was receiving huge quantities of tomatoes not only from across Karnataka but also from Andhra Pradesh, resulting in lower prices. This season, tomatoes were cultivated on nearly 7,000 hectares in the taluk, compared to around 2,000 hectares earlier, leading to a steep rise in arrivals.He said market officials had been instructed to curb the role of middlemen and ensure smooth procurement.Tomato growers Palayya and Borayya said the crop takes nearly three months to mature and requires significant investment in fertilisers, medicines and maintenance. They demanded that the govt ensure a minimum price of ₹300 per box and alleged discrimination in market operations, which they said had further fuelled resentment among farmers.
