• Source:JND
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A farmer claimed to have earned more than Rs 2.8 crore just by selling tomatoes in Maharashtra’s Pune district. The farmer Ishwar Gaikara and his wife who hails from Pune’s Junnar subdivision have set a target to earn Rs 3.5 crore with a stock of around 4,000 crates of tomatoes available with them amid the skyrocketing prices in the market.

While stating his hard work throughout the years for the production of tomatoes, Ishwar Gaikar said, "This is not something I have earned in one day. I have been cultivating tomatoes on my 12-acre farm for the last six-seven years now. I have also incurred losses several times but I have never left my hopes. In 2021, I had made a loss of rupees 18-20 lakhs but I did not stop."

Speaking about his profits, this year, Gaikar said, "This year, I have cultivated tomatoes on 12 acres and till today, I have sold around 17000 crates priced between ₹770 to ₹2311 per crate. So in total, I have earned ₹2.8 crore till now."

The 36-year-old farmer credited his wife for his success as she worked alongside him on the farm and also thanked his parents and grandparents for their blessings. Gaikar stated that everyone in his family is happy with the price they received for their cultivation. Gaikar said that he initially expected to sell tomatoes for around Rs 30 per kg but the sudden rise in the prices turned out to be extremely beneficial for him and helped him to become a millionaire. 

Gaikar inherited farming from his father and has been engaged in the trade since 2005. Initially, he started cultivating tomatoes on just one acre of land but he along with his wife expanded tomato cultivation to 12 acres in 2017 when labour availability increased. Apart from tomatoes, Gaikar also grows onions and practises floriculture during their respective seasons.