Dissatisfied with the price, farmers throw tons of tomatoes on the highway

Rural producers of Ribeirão Branco (SP) threw tons of tomatoes along a highway due to falling prices. According to the farmers, the value invoiced for the product does not even cover the costs of production and therefore opts for scrapping.

According to farmers, a 22-kilo box, which would normally be sold at $ 64, is now sold for $ 21. Many farmers have abandoned agriculture because of the market value, as is the case of Dirceu Souza de Araújo, a former tomato farmer. According to him, the production causes a lot of damage, so it does not compensate for the high value of the poison and the fertilizer.

According to the president of the rural union, Joel Meira, when the price of tomatoes falls, automatically affects the production of the fruit. With that, many farmers end up not paying the expenses.

According to the Rural Workers' Union of Ribeirão Branco, another reason for the elimination is the condition of the tomatoes. Many can not be sold because they are not a good size.

When this happens, two things can be done. The first concerns the selection of fruits in which rotten tomatoes are eliminated, the second concerns the cost, when the production is not good, the load leaves the place of destination, then returns to the municipality. .

The president of the Union, Edna Aparecida, believes that a good alternative would be the distribution of fruits instead of discard. According to her, this situation should be debated to define who will be delivered. However, the President of the Rural Union says that the value of transportation for the donation could end up affecting rural producers.