TIRUCHY: Gingelly sale increased ten-fold at the weekly regulated market in Lalgudi over the past one month. Officials of the agriculture marketing department attribute the increased sale to the active cultivation taken up by gingelly farmers.
Lalgudi is the only place in Tiruchy where large-scale gingelly cultivation is taken up. As per sources, the regulated market that operates on Wednesdays only received 1930 kg of gingelly only on June 14. The sale stood at Rs 1.96 lakh.
However, on July 5, 9,283 kg of gingelly was sold at the market, generating sale of Rs 14.9 lakh. An official of the agriculture department said demand for oilseeds rose across the country ever since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, paving favourable conditions for gingelly farmers.
About 1,600 hectares of gingelly were cultivated this year in Lalgudi. Gingelly farmer T Vigneshwaran told TNIE that sale through regulated market minimised transportation costs and ruled out commission. G Vivek, the supervisor at the Lalgudi market, said,
"Though rain took a toll on cultivation, the rates were high in comparison to last year. Per kg of gingelly shot up to a maximum of Rs 130 last year, while this year's rate starts at Rs 140 per kg." Tiruchy Market Committee Secretary R Suresh Babu said, "Many big traders have reached out to us, expressing their interest in procuring good quality gingelly. We may see more farmers taking up gingelly cultivation due to the high rate."