From Farm to Market: Unravelling the Volatility of Tomato Prices in India

Abstract

Tomato is one of the most important crops in the horticulture sector with a share of ten percent in India. Tomato is essential to provide money for growers, employment opportunities, household and nutritional dietary requirements. Even through it has higher benefits, there are certain conditions like inadequate post-harvest practices, such as improper storage, poor marketing and transportation, and inadequate processing and preservation facilities which affect the tomato production and its supply and those conditions make a glut in market. Due to those condition, there is a price volatility of tomato in the market which affects the farmers, traders and consumers at greater extend. There is a finding that the price inflation occurs in the period of July to August and lower price during December to March as seasonality plays major role. The pre-production, production, harvesting, primary processing, packaging, interventions throughout the value chain, marketing and involvement of government are much needed to reduce the price volatility of tomato.