KARUR: Who would have guessed that a once-struggling cooperative marketing society in Kulithalai, Karur, would not only recover but also manage to achieve a turnover of Rs 2 crore? All thanks to the significant increase in the sales of neem cake in the district within a year.
The sales of neem cake produced by the cooperative department is marketed by the Cooperative Marketing Society. The organic product, used in farming as a natural fertiliser, pest repellent, and soil conditioner, is sold under the brand name, ‘Mullai’, which has become popular among farmers for its high quality.
P Kantharaja, former joint registrar of the cooperative department, Karur, started a neem cake production unit two years ago to distribute high-quality, naturally produced fertilisers that do not harm crops such as paddy, banana and coconut. The aim was also to revive the cooperative marketing society in Kulithalai, Karur.
Today, the once-struggling society has earned a profit of around Rs 19 lakh, and hundreds of farmers enrolled as members of 84 Primary Agriculture Credit Cooperative Societies (PACCS) in the district have benefited significantly, officials said. Encouraged by this success, the department has decided to expand production and sales of neem cake.
The Kulithalai Taluk Agricultural Producers Cooperative Marketing Society set up the neem cake unit on land owned by a PACCS in Kulithalai in October 2023, where six people are currently engaged in production, according to unit manager T Manivel.
“We procure neem seeds from farmers across the district as well as from a PACCS in Coimbatore, and we have fixed the price at Rs 1,250 per 25-kg bag. Till September 22, 2025, we have sold 521 tonnes of neem cake, generating Rs 1.96 crore. PACCS members are our primary customers, but many non-members also purchase,” Manivel said.
“We grind the seeds without extracting the oil, which helps to significantly improve crop growth,” the ex-joint registrar said.