Heavy demand and skyrocketing prices of tomatoes have prompted a farmer from Maharashtra to install a CCTV camera on his farm to keep an eye on his plantation of the kitchen staple.

The red berries are being sold between Rs 100 and Rs 200 across the country.

The grower said he embraced digital surveillance for his farm at Shahpur Banjar, about 20 km from Aurangabad, after tomato thieves struck there.

Sharad Rawte told PTI that he cannot afford to lose more tomatoes, the most in-demand vegetable today. He said a crate of 22-25 kg of tomatoes is now being sold for Rs 3,000.

Rawte said his farm is spread across 5 acres and he has grown tomatoes on 1.5 acres, which could easily fetch him Rs 6-7 lakh.

“Around 10 days ago, 20-25 kilos of tomatoes were stolen from my farm in Gangapur taluka. To protect the remaining crop that is yet to ripen, I’ve installed a CCTV camera worth Rs 22,000,” he said.

The farmer said the camera runs on solar energy so he doesn’t have to worry about its power supply. “I can also check the visuals anywhere on my phone,” he said.

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