Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Tomato

• Tomato has been identified as a potential vegetable for export by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), New Delhi. The specific requirement of tomato for export in Middle East are round, medium size and red colour, while cherry tomato is preferred for export to European countries. Tomato is being exported from the areas like Nasik and Pune in Maharashtra and Bangalore in Karnataka.
• Processed products of tomato especially puree and pastes have great demand in export. Tomato is exported from India, but due to lack of suitable varieties/ hybrids exclusively for exports, our tomato do not compete in foreign market. For encouraging export potential of tomato and its products there is an urgent need for development of suitable varieties, proper packing procedure and long term and consistent export policy. Pre cooling units and cold storage for fresh tomato should be established for prolonging the shelf life and minimizing the losses in post harvest handling.