THENI: The Tamil Nadu farmers, cultivating cardamom in Idukki in Kerala, has urged the TN government to exert pressure on the Centre to increase the procurement prices for the spice as they have incurred huge losses due to the incessant rains.
Speaking to TNIE, an office-bearer of Pannaipuram farmers association, R Murugandham, said the farmers from Theni district are cultivating cardamom on two lakh acres of land. "Usually farmers cultivate around 500 kg of cardamom per acre of land. However, over the past few years, in view of incessant rain, the farmers of Tamil Nadu have been facing yield loss due to the 'rot' disease that affects overwatered cardamom plants. The farmers also struggle to balance the cost of cultivation, fertilisers, labour cost etc. Despite these challenges, we, farmers are getting paid only Rs 1,500 per kg of cardamom. Often, the sale of yield does not meet the cost of cultivation, which adds to our troubles," he said.
Quoting the challenges faced by the cardamom farmers, including the Kerala government's refusal to provide any subsidy, the farmer representative requested the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to write to the Centre to fix the procurement prices for the spice in order to resolve the issue.
Responding to the issue, an official from the agricultural department said the Tamil Nadu government won't be able to provide any subsidy to the troubled farmers as they are cultivating the spice in Idukki, Kerala, though they are natives of Tamil Nadu.
"The Spices Board of India would procure the farmers' cardamom, but they will not issue a subsidy. Few farmers from the Bodinayakanur Taluk, who had faced similar issues in the past, had received subsidies from the Tamil Nadu government following an inspection by the agricultural department. Since there are Kerala farmers who also cultivate the spice in the Idukki district, a decision must be taken either by the Kerala government or the Centre for redressing the plight of the farmers," he said.
Speaking to TNIE, Theni District's Joint Director of Agriculture, K Senthilkumar said the department is not obligated to interfere in the issue besides offering technical information to eradicate the 'rot' disease affecting cardamom cultivation. The land in which the spice is being cultivated belongs to Kerala. Hence, only the Kerala government is liable to take the appropriate decision," he said.