RAMANATHAPURAM: The drop in palm jaggery prices ahead of the annual season has left farmers distressed, even as official sources said special schemes are being introduced to solve the prolonging post-harvest issues.
Palmyra cultivation takes place on a large scale in Ramanathapuram district, and official sources said there are over one crore palm trees and more than 3,500 licenced palm tree farmers in the district.
Over 25,000 workers are involved in palm jaggery and palm sugar making in the district, and in an average season, about 1.10 lakh metric tonnes of palm jaggery is produced in Ramanathapuram district. However, farmers are in distress this year as the price of a kilo of palm jaggery, which was around Rs 400 last year, has dropped to Rs 300 this year.
"Despite being a major producer of palm jaggery and palm sugar, we are still struggling to get the right price for our produce. Last year, a kilo of palm jaggery was sold at Rs 400 in the market, but this has fallen to Rs 350 per kilo. Traders purchase palm jaggery for less than Rs 300. There is no fixed price or MSP, which the government should consider," said Murugan, a palmyra farmer from Ramanathapuram district.
Bakkiyanathan, a farmer leader from Ramanathapuram, said the number of palmyra trees has decreased over the years as many trees were cut down. “Considering its importance, more palmyra trees should be planted across the district to improve cultivation,” he added.
Speaking about the issue, a senior official from the Palm Board said that to address the pricing issues, the government will organise special ‘Palm Santhais’ in Ramanathapuram district this year. “Under this initiative, farmers can sell their products for better prices. Rs 20 lakh has been allotted for this initiative,” the official said.
Officials also said awareness has been created among farmers about the ‘santhai’ facility. Additionally, a palmyra park is also to be set up in Ramanathapuram, where palmyra-based products will be exhibited.
Notably, a GI tag for Ramanathapuram palm sugar was applied in 2024, and official sources said the application is under pre-examination stage. The GI tag would also increase the marketability of Ramanathapuram palmyra products, farmers said, and requested officials to speed up the process.