CUDDALORE: Amid the growing concerns among farmers in the Covid-19 times, a firm has come to the rescue of vettiver farmers in Cuddalore district. The produce is procured and used to make masks that have medicinal properties and are reusable and eco-friendly.
Vettiver, a kind of grass used in the manufacture of perfume and oil, is cultivated by around 2,000 farmers in nearly 1,000 acres in the district’s coastal regions. As the sand here is very suitable for vettiver farming, many fishers too are involved it the cultivation.
According to sources, the grass was ready for cultivation in March-April, but the companies in Dindigul and Coimbatore backed out of their deals with the farmers to procure the produce, owing to the lockdown.
In this situation, Cuddalore-based firm Wisdom Eco-Products came forward to purchase the vettiver for manufacturing masks. They have so far purchased 300 kg of the grass from farmers and sold around 25,000 masks across the State. Each mask costs Rs 35.
Though 40 workers are making nearly 10,000 masks daily, we are not able to meet the market demand in this crisis time, said Wisdom Eco-Products founder Prasanna Kumar. “The lockdown poses many hurdles like transporting goods and procuring cotton from Tiruppur,” he added.
Speaking to Express, N Shanmugam, a vetiver farmer from Thachampalaiyam said, “I have given two bundles to the firm to make masks. But I have much more vettiver awaiting harvest. Ideally they should have been harvested two months ago. I hope the firm will purchase more produce and save me from debts.”
A senior official with the Agriculture department has informed that a private firm in Dindigul has also begun procuring vettiver produce from the Cuddalore farmers. Meanwhile, the district administration is in talks with other States and the Central government to boost purchase of the produce.