PERAMBALUR: A soon-to-be-opened vegetable market opened by a businessman in Oolambadi in the district promises to free farmers from the grip of middlemen and boost their earnings. S Prakadeesh Kumar (38) of Poolambadi village in Veppanthattai union, who has run several firms like oil, gas and duty-free shops under the name Plus Max company abroad, decided three months ago to establish a daily vegetable market in his village on the lines of Koyambedu, Oddanchatram and Thalaivasal after hearing of farmers' struggles to cultivate long-term crops.
After holding several consultation meetings with agricultural officials and farmers, Prakadeesh formed 34 farmer groups in the district. Work on setting up the market, called Plus Max Farmers Producer Company, is on full swing and will begin functioning on October 25. Speaking to TNIE, Prakadeesh Kumar said, "Apart from a few farmers who raise cattle and sell their milk, most farmers do not have a daily income. So I decided to start this market to provide them a source of daily income.
I don't make a profit from this. My aim is to create a market like Koyambedu in Chennai where farmers can market their produce." "Arrangements have been made to bring big traders from across the state to the market, and farmers can sell vegetables directly to them. Vegetables have been cultivated in around 300 acres in Poolambadi and surrounding villages. We expect to sell around 7 tonnes of vegetables on a daily basis. There are no intermediaries here," he added.
Prakadeesh also said that the second phase of his project includes exporting vegetables and that work will begin soon. R Balakrishnan a farmer from Kadambur said, "I grow a variety of vegetables in my two-acre land and sell them to Thalaivasal or Perambalur markets, but I hardly make a decent profit. So the market will certainly help us."