New procurement price cheers coconut growers
Coconut growers are expected to dump copra at societies from Wednesday as the cooperative marketing societies have enhanced the minimum support price (MSP) to Rs 44.50 per kg on Monday. Though the government has refused to permit toddy tapping, the GO (government order) (MS No.32) enhancing the MSP for copra has made the growers happy to the hilt.Pollachi Cooperative Marketing Society, the biggest one in procuring copra in the region, would start procuring copra at the new MSP of Rs 44.50 a kg from Wednesday. The old MSP was Rs 36.60. The procurement would be done by the cooperative marketing societies under the guidelines of Tamil Nadu Cooperative Marketing Federation.
According to Thangavel, secretary of the Pollachi Cooperative Marketing Society, farmers, who were aware of the GO stating the hike in price, seemed to be prepared to harvest and push loads of copra to cooperative society in the days to come.The Federation of Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) water users associations and farmers associations across the State had urged the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to increase the procurement price of copra from Rs 36.60 to Rs 48 a kg. They had pointed out that as open market price was more than Rs 40 a kg, the coconut growers had stopped selling copra at cooperative societies.Now that the new procurement price has been announced, S R Rajagopal, president of the federation, has suggested that that the officials start procurement at Coimbatore, Pollachi, Anamalai, Kinathukadavu, Udumalpet and Palladam.
He also urged NAFED to provide adequate money to TANFED, Tamil Nadu Government agency, to ensure prompt payment to farmers selling copra through societies.K Paramasivam, general secretary of PAP Water Users Federation, said: “The new procurement price of copra would automatically enhance the rate of coconut and related products such as oil. Given the new procurement rate of copra, the price of a coconut will increase by Rs 1.50 to Rs 2.
According to Thangavel, secretary of the Pollachi Cooperative Marketing Society, farmers, who were aware of the GO stating the hike in price, seemed to be prepared to harvest and push loads of copra to cooperative society in the days to come.The Federation of Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) water users associations and farmers associations across the State had urged the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to increase the procurement price of copra from Rs 36.60 to Rs 48 a kg. They had pointed out that as open market price was more than Rs 40 a kg, the coconut growers had stopped selling copra at cooperative societies.Now that the new procurement price has been announced, S R Rajagopal, president of the federation, has suggested that that the officials start procurement at Coimbatore, Pollachi, Anamalai, Kinathukadavu, Udumalpet and Palladam.
He also urged NAFED to provide adequate money to TANFED, Tamil Nadu Government agency, to ensure prompt payment to farmers selling copra through societies.K Paramasivam, general secretary of PAP Water Users Federation, said: “The new procurement price of copra would automatically enhance the rate of coconut and related products such as oil. Given the new procurement rate of copra, the price of a coconut will increase by Rs 1.50 to Rs 2.
