Continue on TOI App

Virus attack: Is it safe to bring tomatoes to your kitchen?

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on - May 19, 2020, 15:30 IST

1/5

Amidst virus attack scare, should you eat tomatoes?

Several news channels and websites have been running news on the ‘new virus’ which is attacking tomatoes and can be the next threat to humans, even as the country is grappling with the coronavirus scare. Naturally people are scared to bring to their kitchen this vegetable which is an integral part of Indian curries, salads, dips and chutneys. Rumour mills are working fulltime to spread the news that this virus, that they are calling ‘Tiranga Virus’ is deadlier than corona and if humans consume these ‘infected tomatoes’, there might be deadly consequences.

2/5

No one is buying tomatoes due to rumour

Mahagaon tehsil in Yavatmal is one of the largest tomato producing areas in Maharashtra and a rumour of this kind has dealt a severe blow to the farmers in whose fields tomatoes can be seen rotting, first due to the virus and second because no one is ready to buy even the healthier ones due to the ‘Tiranga Virus’ rumour. An FIR has been filed in Mahagon police station by farm activists against these rumour mongers.

3/5

The real facts

Farmers in the tomato-growing belt of Ahmednagar and Pune have extensively suffered large crop losses by a virus, which the State Government has not been able to identify as it is different from the usual crop illnesses that affect tomatoes. Samples of the affected tomatoes have been sent to the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bengaluru, for further analysis. Tomatoes are quickly rotting under the impact of this virus.

4/5

The woes of the farmers

Not just the virus but also the controversy and rumours have badly affected the sales of tomatoes and now the farmers in Maharashtra are in a dilemma as to whether to replant or to keep their land fallow as the production losses have reached almost two-third of the yield in certain areas. The farmers are also facing trouble in the market as prices of good quality tomatoes, too, have fallen sharply due to news by a channel, which tried to draw comparison between the virus afflicting the tomato and coronavirus.

5/5

Don’t go by the rumours

The tomatoes being affected by the virus are rotting quickly and are not able to make their way to the market. Moreover there are numerous diseases that affect crops with little evidence to prove they have an impact on humans. So far nothing has been proved to show that humans cannot eat healthy, juicy tomatoes. In fact the issue of false news was also taken up by former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan. He tweeted that the State Government must take legal action against those spreading the rumour.

Start a Conversation

Post comment

Featured In lifestyle

Photostories

Explore more Stories

Up Next

Your Privacy is Important to us

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

Follow Us On