Maharashtra farmer becomes millionaire in a month by selling tomatoes

A farmer from Maharashtra's Junnar has managed to earn Rs 1.5 crore in a month by selling 13,000 crates of tomatoes. Many farmers in Junnar who are now growing tomatoes have become millionaires.

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More than 100 women in Junnar district are now employed after a farmer started selling tomatoes (Photo: India Today)

Amid soaring tomato prices across the country, a farmer in Maharashtra's Pune district who cultivated tomatoes has hit the jackpot. Tukaram Bhagoji Gayakar and his family earned more than Rs 1.5 crore by selling 13,000 tomato crates in a month.

Tukaram owns 18 acres of agricultural land and on 12 acres of land, he cultivates tomatoes with the help of his son Ishwar Gayakar and daughter-in-law Sonali. The family said they grow good-quality tomatoes and their knowledge of fertilisers and pesticides helps them ensure that their crop is safe from pests.

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The farmer earned Rs 2,100 in a day by selling one tomato crate in Narayanganj. Gayakar sold a total of 900 crates on Friday, earning Rs 18 lakh in a single day.

Last month, he was able to sell tomato crates at prices ranging from Rs 1,000 to 2,400 per crate based on the quality. Many farmers in Junnar, a city in Pune district, who are now growing tomatoes have become millionaires.

The committee has made a business worth Rs 80 crore in a month by selling tomatoes and this has also provided employment to over 100 women in the area.

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While Tukaram's daughter-in-law Sonali manages tasks such as planting, harvesting, packaging, his son Ishwar handles sales, management and financial planning. The hard work of the past three months has paid off well as they have experienced favorable market conditions.

At Jhunnu Agricultural Produce Market Committee's market located in Narayanganj, the highest price of tomatoes for crates with good quality (20 kilograms) was Rs 2,500, which is Rs 125 per kilogram.

Farmers becoming millionaires by selling tomatoes is not confined to Maharashtra alone. A family of farmers from Karnataka's Kolar this week sold 2,000 boxes of tomatoes and returned home with Rs 38 lakh.

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