By Our Correspondent
Sarlahi, Feb. 6: Farmers of Sarlahi have felt a sigh of relief after the price of tomatoes increased in the local market.
Farmers have said that the price of tomatoes has increased to Rs. 18 per kg for the past three days, and they are encouraged to bring the ripe tomatoes to the market and sell them.
Earlier, they were selling the tomatoes at Rs. 10 to Rs. 12 per kg in the wholesale market.
Farmers in Lalbandi and Hariwan Municipalities in the northern part of the district cultivate tomatoes commercially. They carried the tomatoes to the markets on bicycles, motorcycles, carts and other vehicles.
Giriraj Kharel, a farmer of Hariwan Municipality-2, said that the farmers would make good income by selling tomatoes if the current market price sustained.
According to the traders, due to the increased demand from other places, the farmers were getting good prices for their product.
Chairman of Lalbandi Agricultural Market Management Committee and a trader Daresh Chaudhary informed that the price had gone up along with the production of tomatoes after the fog cleared in the Terai.
He said that the price of tomatoes was in an increasing trend. Tomatoes produced in the northern part of Sarlahi are supplied to major cities of the country, including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Birgunj, Janakpur, Sindhuli, Katari, Chapur and Malangwa.
According to the Agriculture Market Management Committee, more than five trucks of tomatoes are being supplied daily from Lalbandi Bazaar, the main business centre of the district.
Along with Lalbandi, tomatoes are also being supplied from Nawalpur and Hariwan Bazaar.