This year, tomato farmers in Kolar APMC, including Mandya, Kolar, and Chikkaballapur districts, have experienced a turning point in their fortunes. Many of them earned a fortune and some even became millionaires, all thanks to the successful tomato crop. According to traders and officials of the Kolar Agriculture Produce Market Committee, about 15 farmers from the region have joined the list of millionaires.
One of the success stories comes from a farmer in Mandya who cultivated tomatoes on approximately 10 acres of land. In just two months, this farmer earned a staggering four crores by supplying 1000 crates of high-quality tomatoes to Kolar APMC. Each crate contained about 15 kg of tomatoes and was sold for a minimum of Rs. 1800 per crate.
Tomato Farmers in Kolar APMC Reap Fortunes: Some Become Millionaires!
While the success stories are abundant, some farmers see this year’s bumper earnings as compensation for the losses they incurred in the last three years. Tomato traders suffered significant losses in the previous years, selling a carton of tomatoes for a meager Rs. 300-400. However, this year’s high prices have helped them recover and wiped out their previous losses.
Bumper Earnings for Tomato Farmers: Success Stories in Kolar APMC
Despite facing crop diseases and challenges, many farmers managed to earn substantial profits. Ravi TN, a tomato farmer from Malur district, earned Rs. 70 lakhs from tomatoes grown on 12 acres. He believes that without the impact of disease, his earnings could have been even higher. Ravi used water supplied by the KC Valley Project, which supplies treated water from Bengaluru to parts of Kolar district, but the yield was still lower this year.
This year, some farmers played it safe and grew tomatoes on a smaller scale to mitigate risks. Despite growing tomatoes on only 4 acres out of his 20-acre land, Sampath Kumar from Kolar district earned a total of Rs. 8 lakhs. The high prices this year have compensated for all the losses he faced in previous years, giving a new lease of life to tomato farming in the region.
