‘Ketchup’ protest stains highway

The Telegraph (Calcutta) ^ | August 18, 2008 | The Telegraph

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The national highway passing Kolar, 70km from Bangalore, has seen a lot of red on its surface for years now.

The colour-coated stretch is the result of tomatoes dumped by farmers protesting a price crash. This week, too, the disgruntled lot threw their crop on the highway after the prices fell from Rs 80 per kilogram to Rs 15-25 a kg.

An appeal had earlier been made to the government to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to tomato growers.

The farmers’ action blocked the highway for hours this week. After their unique protest ended, the crushed tomatoes left an indelible stain kilometres long as trucks, buses and passing vehicles squashed the produce.

This action was first resorted to as a novel protest two decades ago when agitated farmers threw vegetables in front of their yards. Soon, the road resembled a sea of red as thousands of local farmers brought truckloads of tomatoes and dumped them. The scene is enacted once in a few years since tomato prices often crash.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

[agere_contra]

Are the Indian or local government responsible, does any know? For instance, have they banned tomato exports, or carried out some other intervention against the market?

[Vigilanteman]

When I was in junior high, India was so socialized and dirt poor, a protest of this nature would have been considered unthinkable.n Now, a mere two decades or so after embracing capitalism, they have so much agricultural surplus they can afford protests of this nature.

However, a socialist will look at these protests and still think "That's terrible, we need to adopt more socialism so these tomatoes don't get wasted. (So what if the society as a whole is made poorer for it?)"

[95 Bravo]

Now wait a minute....
Remember, Hindus believe cows are sacred. With no hamburgers to eat, there’s less need for ketchup, and thus they can afford to waste tomatoes. ;)

[martin_fierro]

The farmers’ action blocked the highway for hours this week. After their unique protest ended, the crushed tomatoes left an indelible stain kilometres long as trucks, buses and passing vehicles squashed the produce.

Rumor has it that I-80 up by Sacratomato, CA has had so many tomatoes spill from trucks on its surface over the years that the acidity has caused the concrete to warp and become bumpy.

or so I was told once

[ElkGroveDan]

Rumor has it that I-80 up by Sacratomato, CA has had so many tomatoes spill from trucks on its surface over the years that the acidity has caused the concrete to warp and become bumpy.

I think that's frost heaving up on I-80. Besides the tomatoes don't come that way. They mostly come up and down I-5. They grow them up in Yuba, Sutter, and other counties to the North and truck them down for canning and processing in other parts of the state.

However, in the area of Sacramento I used to live when I first moved here(known locally as the Pocket), there is a bit of an abrupt rise and drop sort of hump in I-5 and the trucks usually shed a handful of tomatoes on every bounce. All along the shoulder there you can see tomato plants growing during the wet seasons.

[NormsRevenge]

the road resembled a sea of red

-

and then Obama came, parted it,
and whupped up a big batch of lasagna
with all the tomaties and fed the multitudes

or so I heard. ;-)

[SierraWasp]

"(known locally as the Pocket)"

Is that the pita pocket???

[ElkGroveDan]

Its a neighborhood created within a major bend in the Sacramento River.

[SierraWasp]

I know about the Pocket Area. I was just tryin ta be cute!!!

I'm sure glad you're outta there with no Auburn Dam in place!!!

[ElkGroveDan]

It was so long ago that Republicans controlled the California State Assembly, and were in The Governor’s office, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer’s offices. That’s how long ago it was.

[SierraWasp]

That musta been in the 1980’s BD (Before Davis) Or was it BW (Before Wilson)(grin)

[SierraWasp]

"and then Obama came, parted it,
and whupped up a big batch of lasagna
with all the tomaties and fed the multitudes"

Them's good prose, dude!!! I Bee Lovin It!!! Remember the Catsup commercial about "AN-TICI-PAYSHUN IS MAKING ME WAIT?" I think Carly Simon sang it, along with "YOU'RE SO VAIN!"

[ElkGroveDan]

1995

[SierraWasp]

All this thread needs now is State Senator Steve Peace's Attack of the Killer Tomatoes cult movie clips.

Yes, 1995 was my first year in public life...

[SierraWasp]

By the way... Speaking of public life... Please extend my kudos to your boss and his colleagues for standing up to the Democrat's Governor and all HIS Democrat taxers and squanderers!!!

I was getting pretty upset at all the vicious rumors eminating out of the danged BEE and was preparing to see the worst in disbelief!!!