India, Feb. 13 -- Tomato prices have crashed to their lowest levels in more than a year in producer states, after record high prices pinched consumers in 2023 and 2024, a familiar cycle of volatility that afflicts mostly perishables.

Wholesale rates of the vegetable have slid more than 80% over the past couple of weeks in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, selling for Rs.8-10 a kilo, farmers said, while the cost of production ranges between Rs.12-14 a kilo, depending on the size of farm and where it is grown, according to a 2022 analysis by the National Horticulture Board.

The farm-gate crash in prices has led to unrest among growers, many of who are dumping their produce and using them to feed cattle because transporting the harvest to ma...