Maharashtra farmers dump tomatoes on roadside as prices of produce crash

Farmers in Nashik and Aurangabad on Friday dumped truckloads of tomatoes on the road after prices crashed to Rs 2-3 per kg in the wholesale market.

"The price that has been received today is Rs 3 per kg, while the farmer is not able to get even his cost, the farmer says that at least Rs 10 kg should not be sold," said Ilyas Bagh a Farmer.

"Demonstration and agitation was also done by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena regarding this issue and the government was warned that we will continue to agitate until some decision is taken," said Santosh Jadhav, Farmer Leader

"The farmer is called a backbone of the economy. But, now the tomato growers are going through difficulties. Such a bad time has come, that farmers had to throw the tomatoes on the road," said Ajit Subhash Navale, President of Kisan Sabha Maharashtra.

The government has to think that the tomato farmers are not getting the price for the tomatoes. The government is not paying attention. Our request is that our crops get sold in the market. In Maharashtra, Aurangabad mandis, farmers have thrown tomatoes on the road," stated Navale.

Besides the Navnirman Sena, the Kisan Sabha has also warned the government to do something about increasing the prices of tomatoes so that the farmers get a fair price in the market, stated the farmers.

( With inputs from ANI )