TIRUPPUR: Hundreds of farmers held a rally near the Tiruppur district collectorate seeking the inclusion of coconut oil and groundnut oil for sale through Public Distribution System throughout Tamil Nadu.
Farmers assembled at a private marriage hall near Palladam road and raised slogans asking officials to stop the sale of palm oil in PDS shops. They said several thousand tonnes of refined palm oil are imported every year from Malaysia and are widely distributed in all the PDS shops in Tamil Nadu and other states. However, coconut trees are grown throughout the country and the price of copra has dropped to Rs 10.
The protesting farmers claimed that if the State and the Union government procured coconut oil and other crops through cooperative departments and civil supplies departments, it could greatly benefit coconut farmers. So, we seek an immediate ban on the import of palm oil from Malaysia and initiate procurement of coconut oil for the welfare of farmers.
The rally ended near the collectorate.