Boom to bust: how 2025 crushed Madanapalle’s tomato fortunes

The year 2025 laid bare the fragility of tomato farming and the business fortunes linked to it in the Rayalaseema region, with Madanapalle in Annamayya district remaining the core belt. Once the pride of the country’s horticulture economy, the region now stands exposed to sharp price swings driven by climatic extremes and the continued dependence on traditional farming practices, with limited adoption of scientific methods.

The Madanapalle region, regarded as Asia’s largest tomato-growing belt, spans over 20,000 hectares and has the capacity to handle nearly 12 lakh tonnes of tomatoes annually. The local market yard traditionally witnesses steady arrivals from Chittoor, Punganur, Madanapalle, Nimmanapalle, Chinna Tippa Samudram, Palamaner, Kuppam, Valmikipuram, Kalakada, Gurramkonda and Tamballapalle mandals of Chittoor and Annamayya districts, apart from Chintamani and Srinivasapura areas of neighbouring Karnataka.

The year began on a hopeful note for farmers and traders alike. However, blistering and prolonged summer heat from March to September pushed wholesale prices in the Madanapalle market to ₹60 to ₹80 per kg, while retail prices in Tirupati, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Chennai crossed ₹100 per kg. The upward trend proved short-lived. Between January and March, prices crashed to ₹3 to ₹5 per kg, against an average field cost of ₹6 to ₹7 per kg. Trade estimates indicate that heavy arrivals on several days during this period flooded the market, triggering widespread distress sales.

During the same period, inclement weather in the western mandals, coupled with unseasonal rainfall, caused extensive crop damage in several parts of the Madanapalle division. Excess soil moisture and fungal infections sharply reduced marketable yields. From April onwards, heat stress led to flower drop, cutting productivity by nearly 40% in several pockets. Field officials of the Horticulture Department estimate that close to 5,000 hectares of tomato crop across the Rayalaseema districts suffered partial damage in 2025.

The situation worsened from October with spells of heavy rain, compounded by the impact of the Montha and Ditwah cyclones in November and December. “We spent nearly ₹1.2 lakh per acre, but sold tomatoes at ₹4 a kg. The market does not protect us,” said Ramesh Naidu, a farmer from Tamballapalle mandal. Sumathi, a small grower from Kurabalakota, said losses in November pushed her beyond her financial limits. “As transport itself was costly and prices were non-remunerative, I chose to feed the crop to cattle,” she said.

From December onwards, prices fluctuated between ₹40 and ₹60 per kg. Yet arrivals at the Madanapalle market fell to below 100 tonnes a day, compared to the regular inflow of nearly 1,000 tonnes a day until 2017, underscoring the sharp decline in overall yields.

Official data show that the Madanapalle region accounts for over 50% of Andhra Pradesh’s tomato production. “Until 2016, Madanapalle was the undisputed king of the tomato trade in India. Things changed rapidly thereafter. Tomato cultivation has expanded significantly in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, with strong participation from farmers in northern States. This has led to a sharp fall in exports. We are trying to persuade farmers to shift to alternative crops, but there is little response. This remains one of the main reasons for the continuing crisis,” said a senior official.