Abstract:The current study was conducted at chintamani taluk of Karnataka by considering the productivity of tomato as a basis, for analysing the extent of adoption of production technology and the constraints faced by the tomato growers. Sixty tomato growers from Chintamani taluk of Chikkaballapur district were selected using a non-probability (snowball) sampling technique, and the data was collected with the help of a well structured schedule through telephonic interview method. The results revealed that more than three by fourth (83.3 percent) of the tomato growers belonged to the other backward caste and more than one third (40 percent) of the respondents had an annual income in the range ₹ 200000 - 300000. The benefit-cost ratio of the tomato growers was found to be 1:2.9. The majority of the farmers had acquired seedlings from private companies and were used to good agricultural practices like proper planting time, correct number of pre ploughing, better spacing between crops and usage of practices like mulching, fertigation, and superior supporting system. Most of the tomato growers sold their produce to the whole sellers through commission agents in the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee). The farmers had shared several problems related to production and marketing of Tomato. The constraints during production included pest attack, disease incidence, high cost of pesticides, non-availability of labourers and high wages for labourers. And the major constraints in marketing were found to be fluctuation in the market price and having to pay high charges for commission agents.
To tap the economic power of vegetables, governments will need to increase their investment in farm productivity, good postharvest management, food safety and market access.