Tomatoes to fetch higher price in October

Tomatoes are expected to fetch a wholesale price of Rs1,150-1,350 per quintal in October this year, more than what is expected in August and September, according to an econometric analysis by GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology.

Under a project, 'Establishing and Networking of Market Intelligence Centres in India,' underway at the Pantnagar- based varsity to help farmers know the likely prices of agriculture commodities well in advance of sowing, the scientists have forecast that wholesale prices of hill tomatoes will be in the range of Rs1,100-1,300 per quintal in August and September this year, a press release said.

However, in October, the wholesale prices of hill tomatoes are expected to be around Rs1,150-1,350 per quintal.

Scientists have, therefore, advised farmers who wish to pursue hill tomato cultivation in the coming season to take into consideration these prices to decide the time of sowing and the area to be sown under tomato crops. The sowing season has started in Uttarakhand.

The research team of scientists conducted a market survey of the Haldwani-regulated market, a major market for hill tomatoes in Uttarakhand, and analysed wholesale price data for the last twenty years in this market to come up with their projections.

Tomatoes are a major vegetable of Uttarakhand, where it is grown both in the hills as well as the plains. Nainital, Dehradun, Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar are the four major districts producing tomatoes and constitute about 63% of the total production in the state.