Video: Offered Rs 4 Per Kg, Maharashtra Farmer Dumps 25 Quintals Of Tomatoes

A farmer from Maharashtra's Jalna district on Tuesday dumped 25 quintals of tomatoes near a highway after he was offered a mere Rs 4 per kilogram for the produce.

Tomato growers in Jalna have been severely affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as the resulting export halt has driven tomato prices to extremely low levels.

Amar Kakade, a farmer from Jalna's Dharkalyan village, managed to raise the necessary funds to cultivate a tomato crop on his one-acre plot of land. However, when he arrived at the Karmad market with his harvest, traders offered him a mere Rs 4 per kilogram.

The traders argued that international exports have ceased due to the conflict, leading to a significant decline in demand.

Realising that the offered price would not even cover his cultivation and transportation costs, Kakade dumped approximately 25 quintals of tomatoes under a bridge near Somthana Phata on the Jalna-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway.

In view of the disruptive situations caused by the conflict, the Centre had earlier announced a financial relief package of Rs 497 crores aimed at helping exporters affected by disruptions.

Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi on March 20, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the ongoing situation has posed challenges for countries across the world.

"It has been a testing time for not just us, but for the entire global community. Our leaders have been in touch with their counterparts," Jaiswal said.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Senthil Rajan said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has approved a package called RELIEF to support exporters facing logistical challenges.

"The government has approved a package which is called RELIEF, meaning Resilience and Logistic Intervention of Export Facilitation. It is an intervention under the Export Promotion Mission to support exporters amidst West Asia logistics disruptions," Rajan said.