Berhampur: Tomato growers in Ganjam district are distressed as prices plummet making it difficult to recover production costs for this kitchen staple.
Farmers in the district currently sell their tomato produce for as little as Rs 3 to Rs 5 per kg to vegetable sellers, while consumers in silk city pay Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg depending on quality.
Surath Pahan, a tomato grower from Satrushol village, said, “After spending three months cultivating the crop, we are not even being able to cover labour costs,” he said.

On Friday, Pahan sold 15 quintals of tomatoes at Rs 3 per kg, a rate that barely covers basic expenses like seeds, fertilizers, and transportation.
Some farmers have resorted to abandoning their crops entirely, with traders offering as little as Rs 2 per kg. “Rather than selling at such low prices, I decided to feed my tomatoes to the cattle,” said Upendra Polai of Shatrusola.
Ganjam block, a significant tomato-growing region, has been hit particularly hard. According to Kand Jena, deputy director of horticulture (DDH), the bumper crop this year has led to the price collapse. According to him, tomatoes were cultivated on around 1,500 hectares in the district, contributing to an oversupply in the market.
Brundaban Khatei, a farmers’ leader and former zilla parishad member, said the tomato growers suffered due to lack of food processing industries and cold storages in the district. “If farmers had processing units, farmers could produce tomato-based products like pickle and sauce, adding value to their produce,” Khatei said. He urged the govt to compensate the affected farmers for their losses.