After theft, farmers in Karnataka forced to guard tomatoes

Tomato are currently selling for as high as Rs 150. Representation pic

The steep rise in the prices of tomatoes is forcing farmers in Karnataka to guard their crop, as it is being stolen by miscreants. Tomato prices have crossed Rs 100 and they are even sold for Rs 150 per kilogram. The farmers are forced to sleep at their farms and take turns guarding the crop ready to be harvested. The monsoon rains have made the situation worse.

The farmers are erecting tents at their farm land to monitor the movement of the people and vehicles. They state that they need to be more vigilant in the early hours. One box of tomatoes fetches between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 and farmers who reaped a good crop are earning in lakhs.

A farmer has lodged a police complaint alleging that Rs 3 lakh worth of tomatoes were stolen overnight from his farm in Hassan district on July 6. The incident was reported at Goni Somanahalli village near Halebeedu town in Hassan. Dharani aka Somashekar, the farmer, had lodged a complaint with Halebeedu police in this regard. Police explained that the thieves took away 90 boxes of tomatoes. The incident came to light when Dharani had gone to his farm the next morning.

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