TIRUPPUR: Around 40 coconut farmers launched a hunger strike in Avinashipalayam town in Tiruppur district claiming political parties failed to fulfil their poll promise, especially on procurement of copra.
A large number of farmers assembled on a farmland in Avinashipalayam near Tiruppur city. They raised slogans demanding a ban on the sale of palm oil in Public Distribution System shops.
Citing the DMK election manifesto for the 2021 Legislative Assembly election promising procurement of copra from farmers, the protesters said the promise remains unfulfilled.
“The state government failed and several thousand tonnes of refined palm oil are imported every year from Malaysia. These are widely distributed across all PDS shops in Tamil Nadu and other states. Meanwhile, copra price has dropped to `10 with the large availability of coconut,” the farmers said.
The farmers demanded the state and union governments to procure coconut oil and other crops through cooperative departments and civil supplies departments for the benefit of coconut farmers. So, they sought an immediate ban on the import of palm oil from Malaysia and initiated the procurement of coconut oil for the welfare of farmers.
They also wanted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch coconut oil products under a new brand name and create an agency for the procurement of copra.