COIMBATORE: Palamalai Farmer Producer Company which is a consortium consisting of 340 small farmers has opened up a first farm gate sale centre at Veerapandi near Mettupalayam.
According to farmers, it was the first produce company opened so that the farmers could bring their produce directly to the consumer by removing a wholesale and retail middleman.
It is associated with six more produce companies Aranganathan farmer producer company, Heththai Amman farmer producer company, Kotagiri collective farmer producer company, Aram organic farmer producer company, Mahanadu farmer producer company, and Chennai Aandavar farmer producer company G Ranganathan, a farmer and commercial director of the centre, said, “The direct sale of agricultural produces to consumers makes a reduction in price by 20 per cent compared to the market prices.
At present, we have brought 15 agricultural produces to the centre and have planned to increase it to 50 in the coming days by associating with more farmer producer companies.”
He added, “Already the direct farm gate centre has been opened in Erode and Rasipuram. In Coimbatore, this is the first initiative. By associating with six more farmer-producer companies, we could get produce from 2,400 farmers. If all goes well, we will increase the number of outlets to other places.”
“A total of Rs 22,000 worth of products were sold on the first day and we plan to increase it to rS 50,000 per day,” he further said.
The Deputy Director of Agri Marketing and Business inaugurated the centre. The first sale was made by Kavundampalayam Constituency MLA P R G Arunkumar.