Tomato

Marketing

• Small and marginal farmers dispose their produce to local market.
• Commercial producers take the produce to market yards.
• In tomato marketing middle man plays a vital role and grab 20-30% cost of cultivation for marketing.
• Even in regulated market yards also commission agents play vital role and charge 10% commission against Govt. rate of 4% only.
• Including weighment and commission charges farmer is loosing around 20 % income

Profit from one tone of tomato supply to market

Initial weight	1000 kg
10% loss due weighment error	100 kg
Net weight	900 kg
Assume the cost of tomato Rs 4/kg	Rs 3,600
Commission 10%	Rs 360
Net amount	Rs 3,240
Unloading charges Rs 1/item	Rs 33
Net amount received by farmer	Rs 3,207

As per Govt. rules

Tomatos	1000 kg
Assume the cost of tomato Rs 4/kg	Rs 4,000
Commission 4 %	Rs 160
Net amount	Rs 3,840
Net amount received by farmer	Rs 3,840

Suggested measures for better returns from marketing of tomatos

• The commission agent should be made to charge commission according to Govt. rule
• Weighment errors at market yard and farmers field should not be there.
• Farmers themselves have to form into co-operatives for marketing produce.
• Govt. should announce minimum support price to rescue the farmer at the time of gluts in the market
• The farmers themselves restrict the area under cultivation to avoid market gluts.
• The market yards should have cold storage facilities.
• Establishment of processing units at important centers of tomato production.

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