Press release

G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar

Distt. Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand)

Tomato price will remain high this year
Pantnagar. 24 July, 2013. Pantvarsity scientists have forecasted that price of tomato will remain
high this year though these will decline in August. This forecast has been made by the scientists
under a sub-project of National Agriculture Innovation Project Establishing and Networking of
Market Intelligence Centers in India which is under operation at Agriculture Economics
Department of the university. One of the objectives of this project is to make price forecasts well
in advance of sowing of selected agricultural commodities and during harvest. The research team
under the supervision of Dr. Anil Kumar (Principle Investigator) conducted market survey of
Haldwani regulated market, a major market for tomato in the Uttarakhand, and analyzed the
wholesale prices data which prevailed for the last 23 years in this market. The scientists expect
that prices of tomato will remain high this year (compared to last year) due to adverse weather
conditions. Rains have damaged the crop and, therefore, prices will be very high due to short
supply (especially upto 15 August). Prices are expected to decline after arrivals of tomato from
Nasik and Banglore to Haldwani regulated market. After taking into account the results of the
econometric analysis, traders view and other factors the scientists expect that the prices of
tomato will be in the range of Rs. 1800-2000 per quintal at farm level during August 2013 and
Rs. 1500-1800 per quintal during September 2013 while these will range between Rs. 1400 and
1600 per quintal in October 2013. Hence, the scientists have advised farmers to take harvesting
decision as per the price forecast.
India ranks third among tomato producing countries contributing around 8 percent of the
worlds production. This crop is grown over 6 lakh hectares in India ranking second among the
countries having maximum area under cultivation for tomato. The yield per hectare in India is
quite low that stands at 18 tonnes per hectare as compared to USA, Italy and Spain where it
ranges between 50 and 60 tonnes per hectare. Major tomato growing states in India are Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
and Madhya Pradesh which together account for about 82.20 percent of Indias production.
Tomato is a major vegetable widely produced throughout Uttarakhand where it is grown both in
hills as well as in plains. Nainital, Dehradun, U.S. Nagar and Haridwar are the four major
districts producing tomato and constitute about 63 percent of total production in the state.

(Naresh Kumar)
News Coordinator