Omkar Dattatray
We are conversant with and have heard and experienced the onion tears and have also heard about it and also we also know the onionisation of politics .But tomato tears is a new addition to the tears syndrome .It is very unfortunate and sad that the prices of some vegetables are skyrocketing and soaring very high and at the top of the list are tomato prices which have increased beyond imagination and such rise in the price of tomato is unprecedented and it is a matter of grave and great concern for the average Indian consumer and consumers of the Jammu and Kashmir is no exception as they too are facing the higher prices of tomato and are experiencing the pinch of raising prices of tomatoes and the people find it not within their budgets to buy tomatoes for their use as vegetable .The steeply rising prices of tomatoes have brought tears in the eyes of the poor and average consumers who find it difficult to purchase tomatoes at the prevailing higher prices and these rising prices of tomatoes ,ginger and other vegetables has become a headache for the people .It is very surprising that tomatoes are selling at the rate of rupees 80 to 140 per kilogram and more and it has affected the budget of an average consumer .The brunt of rising prices of tomatoes and other vegetables is borne by the common people .The main reason of the rising prices of tomatoes in the Indian market is the climate change and global warming and this has badly affected the production of tomatoes with the result there is short supply of tomatoes in the market and this has resulted in the unprecedented increase in the prices if the tomatoes and consumers are facing much difficulty in purchasing tomatoes .It is very surprising that tomatoes are being sold in market at the same price as that of apple .Parting more money for buying tomatoes is a very painful but the consumers have to buy the tomatoes irrespective of their prices because tomatoes is staple vegetable generally consumed by a large number of the people .Tomato tears can only be wiped with research and development –R&D .National Research Foundation must propel R&D to make climate –smart techniques to address crop failures which led to price rise of agricultural products .Nowadays tomatoes are trending at Rs 100 to Rs 160 per Kg ,ginger and garlic touching Rs 150 -200 per kg .Steep rise in prices of tomatoes and other vegetables punched in the pocket of an average household and tell a bigger story of climate shocks .Even as India is the world’s second largest producer of tomatoes and other vegetables but wholesome agriculture is facing a wide spectrum of challenges ,such as stagnation in crop yields ,declining soil organic matter ,multi-nutrient deficiencies ,shrinking arable land, water availability ,cold supply chain and overall climate change is one of the biggest challenges .Farm output is vulnerable to changes in the climate as higher temperatures tend to reduce crop yields an increase pest infections .Rainfed agriculture is primarily impacted due to variability in the number of rainy days .To address climate change ,recently union government gave nod to set up a National Research Foundation –NRF ,an apex body to promote ,fund and mentor research to match up to global standards .The fine print of the NRF bill is likely to be introduced in the monsoon session of the parliament starting July 20.th Thus there is need to expend funds upon research and development to arrest the trend of steeply increasing prices of tomatoes and other vegetables .So what is needed most is to allow augmentation of the agricultural products including tomatoes by attacking climate change which is not in the control of men .So there is immediate need for spending money on research and development on climate change so that people get tomatoes at reasonable rates .But spending money on research and development and using it as a means and measure of arresting the trend of soaring prices of tomatoes is a long time measure and thus it will bring results in long run and therefore there is immediate need that governmental machinery should step in and control rising prices of tomatoes and other vegetables so that steeply rising prices of tomatoes and other vegetables are put under control and thus effected as a short run measure .Therefore the government of the day should step in and arrest the growing trend of rising prices of farm products especially tomatoes to give some relief to the common and poor consumers and thus through short run measure the government should try to combat the steeply rising prices of farm products including tomatoes and other vegetable prices .So government should exert its good offices to control the rising prices of tomatoes and other vegetables to give some relief to the consuming public .But it being a short term measure ,there is need to increase research and development and try to ease the effects of climate change and global warming and this long term measure is an effective way to control the rising prices of tomatoes and other vegetable prices so that consumers are saved from being hit by rising prices otherwise tomatoes will continue to bring tears in the eyes of the consumers .There is need to wipe out the tomato tears and bring the soaring prices of tomatoes under control so that consumers will heave a sigh of relief .Thus tomatoes tears and rising prices of tomatoes should be controlled to give some relief to the public so that they will not have to part with extra money to buy tomatoes.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
