Here today, gone tomato

The recent increase in prices of tomatoes has led to countless complaints. The commodity is an essential part of our everyday life and no food is prepared without adding tomatoes. The country has spent billions in importing tomatoes from India. Although the country is an agricultural state and possesses a massive amount of cultivable land, it often fails to fulfil the requirements of its people and has to import the commodities from other countries. Had there been enough cultivation of tomatoes, the country would have been distributing tomatoes to all cities. This may be a result of the poor agricultural reforms whereby local farmers do not get the appropriate benefits for their labour and instead the profit goes to hoarders and usurers.

Today, when techniques like hydroculture and hydroponics can improve the yield, it seems implausible that an agricultural country is grappling with a shortage of tomatoes. It is imperative that the farmers of the country should be given incentives along with necessary training to grow tomatoes. Moreover, domestic users should also be encouraged to grow such commodities at the local level. If vegetables of everyday need are grown at the domestic level, the burden on the market can be reduced. In addition, an excessive amount of vegetable can be exported. This will ultimately result in an overall growth in the country’s economy.

Adeel Ahmad Sattar (Mansehra)