Pune Farmer's Tomato Harvest Yields an Impressive Rs 3 Crore in Just One Week

Mumbai, July 20:  A farmer in Pune has hit the jackpot, earning Rs 3 crore in just a week's time when the retail price of the juicy vegetable has hit an all-time high.

Ishwar Gaykar (36) had a month before dumped a large quantity of his produce, unable to fetch a good price for the tomatoes grown on his 12 acres of land. But fortune smiled at him as the price of the vegetable continued to head north. During the period between July 11 to 18, he earned a neat Rs 3 crore when a kg was selling for as high as Rs 250-300 in some markets.

I have an 18-acre farm where I cultivate tomatoes on 12 acres. I have sold 18,000 crates since June 11 and have so far earned ₹3 crore,” he told PTI during an interaction. Gaykar expects to earn Rs 50 lakh in the coming days with the remaining stocks at his farm.

The news agency reported that Gaykar’s produce had barely fetched a price of Rs 770 per crate (Rs 37-38/kg) on June 11. But on July 11, his tomato fetched Rs 2200 per crate (Rs 110/kg).

Intriguing as it is, Gaykar had to dump a large quantity of the produce in May when a kg of the item got him only Rs 2.50.

He said that he remained undeterred by the setback and continued to focus on tomato farming with the hope that he will get a good return in the coming months. The hard work, he said, paid him rich dividends. In May heat, when tomato cultivation in other parts of the country was affected, he could save his cultivation because of his untiring efforts and labour.