A farmer in Karnataka has alleged that tomatoes worth Rs 2.5 lakhs were stolen from her farm in the Hassan district on the night of July 4. This comes as tomato prices continue to skyrocket across the country. The farmer, Dharani, said she incurred huge losses as she took loans to grow the tomatoes.
"We incurred huge losses in bean harvest and had taken loans to grow tomatoes. We had a good harvest and prices were also high. Apart from taking 50-60 bags of tomatoes, the thieves also destroyed the remaining standing crop," she said.
Dharani grew tomatoes on two acres of land and said that they were planning to cut the crop and transport it to market as the price reached over Rs 120/kg in Bengaluru.
A complaint has been filed at Halebeedu police station, says a police officer.
The theft occurred amid a steep price hike of tomatoes and are now being sold at over Rs 100 per kg in several key cities. The hike is attributed to heatwaves in key tomato-growing areas and heavy rains, also disruption in supply chains. Tomatoes, which have a relatively lower shelf life, could also have put pressure on their prices.
In the national capital Delhi, tomatoes are being sold at around Rs 130. While the price of tomatoes has touched Rs 150 in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad.
As per a PTI report, prices have reached as high as Rs 155 per kg across major cities. The report citing official data said that in metropolitan cities, the retail prices of tomatoes varied between Rs 58 and Rs 148 per kg.
However, in Chennai, where the price of tomatoes is around Rs 100 - Rs 130 per kg. The Tamil Nadu Government has started the sale of tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 60 per kg at ration shops in the state capital Chennai to manage the price rise.
Kolkata recorded the highest price at Rs 148 per kg, while Mumbai had the lowest at Rs 58 per kg. As per the data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry, the average all-India retail price was Rs 83.29 per kg, with a modal price of Rs 100 per kg, the report said.