Have you noticed the alarming increase in tomato prices lately? It seems like the humble tomato has become a precious commodity, leaving consumers wondering about the reasons behind this price surge. The escalating costs have caused concerns for households and businesses alike, impacting budgets and culinary choices. Let us understand the major factors contributing to these rising prices. We also delve into how FAAB Farms was able to deal with various challenges when traditional farmers faced significant losses.
The decline in tomato production began with the low prices witnessed earlier in the year, leading farmers to opt for alternative crops, thereby, reducing the acreage dedicated to tomatoes. Unfortunately, this decision set the stage for a scarcity of tomatoes today. The past few months witnessed extreme weather events, including unprecedented temperature fluctuations and unseasonal rainfall. The volatile climate in May led to a surge in pest attacks and diseases in tomato plants, causing many growers to abandon their crops. Additionally, the El Nino effect resulted in disruptive rainfalls, with excess in the northern parts and scarcity in the southern parts of India. Rain deficit negatively impacted the growth and development of tomato plants while the waterlogged conditions in the northern parts, during the flowering and fruiting stages further hampered tomato production. Excess rains have also affected the logistics and storage of the produce, reflected in the steeper prices in multiple cities of North India. In fact, a major chunk of the consumer’s burden goes to traders and middlemen rather than the growers, in the form of commissions, loading/unloading, sorting, transporting and other charges.
Traditional tomato farmers, lacking adequate measures to cope with heavy rain, experienced severe crop failures. Those farms that did manage to survive the challenges, encountered delayed harvests, lower per-harvest yields and longer harvest intervals. The meagre market prices from January to May led many farmers to avoid cultivating tomatoes and also abandon any existing tomato crops, exacerbating the decrease in overall tomato supply. The combined effects of decreased production and crop failures plummeted the total tomato production in India. The existing stock and supply were and are insufficient to meet the constant demand in the vegetable market. As a result, tomato prices continue to climb, and consumers are left grappling with the financial implications. The upward trend in prices is expected to persist until the arrival of harvests from tomato crops planted in June, again impacted by the delay in monsoon, which is anticipated to alleviate the supply shortage and stabilize prices to an extent.
In the face of these challenges, FAAB Invest has demonstrated remarkable resilience through innovative farming practices. FAAB Invest employs a batch-wise planting mechanism, allowing us to harvest tomatoes throughout the year. By spreading out the planting cycles, we ensure a steady supply of tomatoes, enabling us to sell their yield at average prices, even during periods of extreme market volatility. The farm employs a raised bed mechanism, along with trenching and drainage circuits, which effectively channel excess water out of the fields, preventing waterlogging. FAAB Invest also prioritises integrated pest management practices, employing multiple levels of protection against pest attacks. The use of insect mesh nets around the farm’s borders acts as a barrier, keeping pests and insects out. Sticky and pheromone traps allow us to control the pests to within economic threshold levels.
To combat the adverse effects of heatwaves and rainfall disruptions, we provided Amino liquids and Anti- stress bio-stimulants (PGPs and PGRs) to our plants, aiding their recovery from the impact of extreme temperatures. Additionally, plant growth promoters and regulators were used to control flower drops caused by unexpected rains during the flowering stage. These proactive and reactive measures implemented by FAAB Farms have ensured a consistent supply of tomatoes to the market, despite the challenge. In contrast, many traditional farmers experienced total crop failures, unable to cope with the adversities imposed by the weather. Through effective water management, and integrated pest management practices, FAAB Farms has been able to sustain its tomato supply, even with smaller batches of harvests, ensuring the availability of this essential vegetable in the market.
