Chennai, Mar 19 : Tomato is one of the most essential vegetable being used in daily food and its prices will sometimes hit the roof or hit the rock bottom. In a bid to regulate its price fluctuations, the Tamil Nadu government will promote off-season Tomato cultivation. Presenting his second agriculture budget in the State Assembly today, Minister for Agriculture MRK Panneerselvam said Tomato is being cultivated in homestead garden, Protected and open field condition in an area of 53,000 hectare with a production of 16 Lakh metric tonnes in Tamil Nadu. The tomato price fluctuations affect the economy of the farmers to a larger extent. Tomato growing farmers will be encouraged to increase the cultivation during the off-season period i.e., May, June, October, November and December in an area of 5,000 acres by providing incentive or inputs at the rate of Rs.8,000 per acre with a total outlay of Rs.4 crore under on and State Government fund. GV 1455