PERAMBALUR: Welcoming the allocation of Rs 29 crore for shallot in the budget, farmers have called upon the government to procure shallot at a reasonable price. According to sources, Perambalur has topped in shallot cultivation for over a decade, and is the main cultivation in Alathur, Veppanthattai and Perambalur. Starting from October till December, farmers cultivate two seasons of shallots back to back.
About 9,000 hectares of shallot are cultivated every year. However, shallot farmers have suffered due to basal rot disease and improper pricing, and the lack of adequate marketing facilities forces them to sell at low prices. The Tamil Nadu government's allocation of Rs 29 crore provides assistance for sowing and harvesting machines, storage structures and onion extractors.
Speaking to TNIE, R Murugaperumal from Adaikkampatti said, "shallot prices fluctuate every time. There is no fixed price and no marketing. We do not even get production cost. This apart, sometimes shallots are affected by basal rot disease and insufficient yield. Despite spraying pesticides, the disease cannot be controlled. The authorities have not found a solution for this yet."
"Perambalur produces a lot of shallot but there is no proper marketing here. We are mostly forced to sell at the lowest prices set by the dealers. Therefore, the government should set a reasonable price and purchase directly from the farmers and sell it through the ration shops." he added.
Tamil Nadu Farmers Association Perambalur District President N Chelladurai said, "There was a shallot storage godown and auction market at Chettikulam, that has been inactive for years. Steps should be taken to open this immediately. When shallots do not fetch the right price, farmers can store them in these godowns. Also, authorities should bring traders and farmers here and arrange to get a fair price for shallot through auction. But they do not do that. So this needs to be confirmed in the future."
"The government should inform how much has been allocated to Perambalur, and officials should use this properly to benefit the farmers," he added.