E-auction for Nilgiris flowers
State Agriculture Minister Veerapandi Arumugam inaugurated the e-auction system at the Nilgiris Flower Trade Centre in Ooty near Coimbatore on 6Th Feb and stressed the benefits of farm-related schemes have to reach all sections of agricultural community.
At present only 25 per cent of the farmers were utilising the incentives and subsidies being offered by the government and the situation must change, he said. In a bid to spread awareness on welfare schemes for farmers, free hand books would be distributed at all panchayat unions, he informed.
The government was prepared to consider the various demands of farmers, only if they benefited the entire community, he said. There was a proposal to construct a building at a cost of Rs one crore for housing the Market Committee at Nilgiris with a hall to conduct auctions, a packing room and other facilities, Arumugam informed. Similar buildings would be put up at Kothagiri, Coonoor and Gudalur at a cost of Rs 75 lakh each.
The government was ready to start a Uzhavar Sandhai (farmers' market) at Kothagiri if a proper place was identified.
A flower auction centre which had come up at a cost of Rs 11 lakh would be upgraded in a phased manner and its related facilities would be set up in different parts of Nilgiris at an overall cost of Rs 8 crore. Nilgiris was declared an Agri-Export Zone and infrastructure was being set up at an investment of Rs 16 crore, he informed.
Khadi Minister K Ramachandran said agriculture was the backbone of economy of Nilgiris and the flower auction centre had its own significance for this district. Agriculture Secretary Surjit Chaudhary called upon farmers to become market savvy, rather than being exploited by others.
Source:newstodaynet
