TIRUCHY: In what could spell relief for coconut farmers who complain of the poor market prices for the past two years, the Agriculture Marketing and Agri-Business Department for the first time in the district is likely to procure milling copra at minimum support price (MSP). Its regulated market in Thuvarankurichi is to be used for it from this week, department sources said.
While mentioning coconut cultivation as being taken up over 5,115 hectares in the district, department sources said that the market procurement rate for copra dropped below Rs 85/kg. Ganapathy N, a coconut farmer from Thuvarankurichi, said,
"In major markets, we are witnessing a surplus supply of coconuts, just like last year. At the same time, the overall production cost and labour charges have increased for the farmers. If a coconut is worth Rs 6, at least Rs 2 goes towards labour cost.
The only way for coconut farmers to survive is by selling it as copra but that too is being sold in the range of Rs 70-Rs 83. Last year it fetched up to Rs 85. If the government decides to procure it at MSP it will safeguard us." V Murugesan, another coconut farmer who has taken up cultivation over seven acres in Musiri, said, "Already the market prices quoted are too low; in such a situation there are syndicates of private traders who procure them at even lower rates."
“For the past two years farmers are being offered poor market rates,” he added. When contacted, Tiruchy Market Committee secretary R Suresh Babu said, "Under the Price Support Scheme which commenced from April 1 this year, we have planned to procure copra at an MSP of Rs 108/kg as fixed by the Union government in order to protect farmers’ interests.”
Mentioning a regulated market for copra as having been made available for the first time in the district, Babu added, “We would be procuring it through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). We also advise farmers to sell coconut as copra as the market price for the fruit has gone very low."