Tomato Farmers in Odisha’s Dhenkanal Struggle as Prices Plunge to Rs 2 Per Kilo

Dhenkanal: Tomato farmers in Hataibari village, Dhenkanal, are facing a severe crisis as the price of their produce has dropped to an all-time low of Rs 2 per kilogram.

Over 100 farmers in the Gondia block, located along the Brahmani River, are struggling to sustain their livelihoods as plummeting prices render their harvests unprofitable.

The drastic price drop has left farmers unable to recover their investment or even cover labor costs, forcing many to abandon their ripe tomatoes in the fields, where they are left to rot. Some have resorted to selling their produce to middlemen at heavily reduced rates, hoping to minimize their losses before the tomatoes become completely worthless.

Local farmers blame the crisis on a lack of proper storage facilities and government intervention.