A TOMATO farmer in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district has literally hit the jackpot by earning a whopping Rs 4 crore in 45 days. With the prices of tomatoes skyrocketing, Murali’s fortunes took a dramatic turn. The 48-year-old sold his produce not only in the tomato market in Madanapalle but also transported to neighbouring Karnataka as it fetched a higher price there.

 

Murali and his wife cultivated tomatoes on 22-acre land in Karakamandla village in April. During last 45 days, they sold 40,000 boxes of tomatoes. The farmer said the huge earning helped them clear debts of Rs 1.5 crore, which they had incurred while cultivating the same vegetable in the past. According to Murali, this time the yield was good due to improvement in power supply. However, the steep hike in prices of tomatoes came as the biggest turnaround.