HYDERABAD: B Mahipal Reddy, a farmer from Telangana has proven that failure is not the end of the road. After facing disappointment in class tenth, Mahipal ventured into agriculture and has now reaped a profit of Rs 1.8 crore from selling tomatoes in just a month.

The success story unfolds as the shortage of tomatoes in Andhra Pradesh led to soaring prices, becoming a boon for Mahipal. The demand for tomatoes was so high that he managed to sell his produce for over Rs 100 per kg in the Hyderabad market. This incredible price surge came after Mahipal harvested the tomatoes from his eight-acre farm where he had planted the crops on April 15 and began selling them from June 15. Not all was smooth sailing, as some of his crops were lost due to unexpected rains. With 40 percent of the crops still intact he predicts that his earnings this season will reach Rs 2 crore.

This year, he invested around two lakhs of rupees per acre in tomato cultivation, and the decision has proved to be immensely fruitful, both in terms of yield and returns. Reddy's hard work and dedication bore fruit as he managed to sell 7,000 boxes of tomatoes.