The State government will procure 1,000 metric tonne of milling copra from the regulated market in Vadipatti at the rate of ₹99.60 per kg, said Madurai market committee secretary V. Mercy Jeyarani.
She said that a notification was received on Thursday regarding the procurement of copra from farmers under the Price Support Scheme. The regulated market committee, in coordination with the agricultural marketing department, would procure the copra from farmers on behalf of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India.
The procurement price announced by the government for this year is ₹99.60 per kg for milling copra and ₹103 per kg for ball copras. This is marginally higher than the previous year’s rate of ₹95.21 for milling copra and ₹99.2 for ball copras.
Coconut was raised on 11,000 hectares of Vadipatti, Kottampatti, Alanganallur and Melur blocks of Madurai. “By procuring copra from farmers at a higher rate, the government wants to ensure that the farmers earn good profits. Also, this will help to increase the wholesale prices of copra in the open market, which will benefit the farmers,” said Ms. MercyJeyarani.
The marginal increase in procurement price of copra will definitely benefit the farmers, said S. Manimaran, vice- chairman of T.Vadipatti Integrated Farming System Farmers Producer Company. “Despite having a good harvest this season, the farmers are unable to fetch good profits and are forced to sell a kg of milling copra for a maximum of ₹85,” he said.
But it must be ensured that the copra is procured from the farmers at this rate throughout the year, he added.
T. Perumal, national secretary, Bharathiya Kisan Sangh, welcomed the marginal price rise, but said it would be better if the government procured a kg of copra at ₹130.
