Jamshedpur: Patamda tomato farmers forced to dump produce due to lack of buyers

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur:  The vegetable farmers of Patamda block in East Singhbhum are facing a severe crisis due to a sharp drop in market demand and prices. Once known for supplying fresh produce to Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, farmers in the region are now being forced to discard their crops on roads and in fields due to unprofitable rates.

Farmer Shrimant Mishra shared his frustration, stating, “Traders in Jamshedpur are offering only Rs. 2-3 per kg for tomatoes, which doesn’t even cover the transportation costs. With such low prices, we are left with no choice but to throw away our produce.” The situation is equally grim for cauliflower and cabbage farmers, who are also struggling to recover their production costs. Farmer Subhash Mahato added, “We are selling cabbage at Rs. 3-4 per piece, but our cost of production is over Rs. 6 per piece. We are incurring heavy losses.”

Despite the existence of a 5,000 metric-ton cold storage facility in Bamani, it remains non-operational. Farmers believe that functional cold storage could prevent such losses by allowing them to sell vegetables at better prices in the off-season. Yadunath Gorai, a large-scale tomato farmer, noted that this is the third time in 15 years that farmers have faced such a crisis.

District Cooperative Officer Asha Toppo has suggested that farmers facing storage issues should approach authorities. However, the cold storage facility in Bamani remains locked, with no infrastructure such as a stabilizer, labor room, guard room, or office, preventing its operation.

The crisis has forced some farmers to abandon agriculture altogether. Gandhi Das of Bansgarh, who leased four acres for Rs. 40,000, suffered losses of Rs. 13 lakh over two years and has now shifted to running a sweet shop instead. “Had there been cold storage, we could have stored our produce and sold it later at a profit,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, elderly farmers like Haripado Mahato (70) and his wife Kunti Mahato are left waiting in vain for traders, sitting under the sun with crates full of tomatoes that no one is willing to buy. Trader Lilu Mahato explained the harsh reality, “If I buy tomatoes at Rs. 3 per kg, I spend Rs. 2.50 per kg on transportation. By the time I reach the Jamshedpur market, wholesalers only offer Rs. 3 per kg. I am at a loss, so I’ve stopped buying from farmers.”

Without immediate government intervention, the distress among farmers will only deepen, pushing many to abandon farming altogether in search of alternative livelihoods.