Tomato growers expect good price in Pindaya Tsp

The villages near Pindaya Township, Danu Self-Administered Zone in the southern Shan State execute cultivation of seasonal fruits and vegetables and the harvest season of tomato starts at present.
‘‘Cultivation with an irrigation system achieves success in Zawgyi village, Pindaya Township. We cultivate them throughout the years (both in the summer, rainy and winter seasons). They can be harvested three months after that. We sell those summer tomatoes out. We have also nursed seedlings for the winter season. It fetched K1,200 per viss (a viss equals 1.6 kilogrammes) in a similar period last year. This year, the wholesale price is around K350-400 per viss,’’ said a grower.
The growers are expecting a good price for now. The tomato from the villages near Pindaya Township is sent to Yangon, Mandalay, Aungban, Kengtung and Tachilek cities.
Growers in hill regions extend acreage as they received a higher price last year. When tomatoes flood the market, it brings down the prices, said a trader.
However, there is a large price gap between the wholesale and retail prices when the transport cost is added amid the hike price of fuel oil, said a market observer.
The input cost doubled this year owing to high fertilizer prices and a hike in fuel oil prices. A big slump in prices caused a huge loss to the growers in early 2022.
During December last year, low supply drove the price up. The tomato fetched up to K2,400-2,500 per viss. — Aye Aye Latt, KK/GNLM