Tomato prices might have soared to Rs 100 per kg, but this is bad news for farmers in Mysuru as their crops are devastated by wilt disease. Despite initial hopes of replicating last year’s success when prices skyrocketed to Rs 160 per kg, farmers now fear they may not even recoup their investments.
Raising tomato plants during the harsh weather of March-April required considerable effort and regular watering. Additionally, significant expenses were incurred on fertilizers and pesticides to ensure healthy growth.
However, incessant rain and sudden weather changes over the past 10 days have led to the outbreak of wilt disease during the critical flowering and fruit-bearing stages. At this point, even pesticides offer little help as the disease spreads rapidly, killing plants within days.
Mahesh, a local farmer, shared his plight: “We used to harvest 10 to 12 times and get more than 600 boxes of tomatoes from five acres. This time, we harvested only 120 boxes three times due to the disease.” He added, “We sold tomatoes for Rs 55-60 a kg and are now trying to protect the remaining plants.”
Agriculture officers attributed the wilt outbreak to high humidity and sudden weather changes, which caused a significant drop in temperature by 10 to 12 degrees Celsius.
