Atchannaidu expresses concern over fall in tomato price

Vijayawada: Minister for Agriculture and Marketing K Atchannaidu ex-pressed concern here on Friday over the fall in tomato price in Pattikonda market yard in Kurnool district.

Reacting to the news, the Minister announced that the marketing department would purchase tomatoes from farmers at the rate of Rs 8 per kg and the same would be supplied to all the markets across the State for the same price.

He instructed the officials to purchase tomatoes without considering profit and loss in the Pattikonda market yard at Kurnool at Rs 8-a-kg. The tomatoes should be supplied to all markets across the State at the same price.

The officials said that the import of tomatoes from the neighbouring States and low quality rain-fed tomato avail-able in the market resulted in the fall in the price.

Anyway, the Minister instructed the marketing department officials to start purchasing tomatoes immediately for the benefit of farmers as well as consumers.