The Kannur District Panchayat has come with “kappa (tapioca) challenge” to help farmers who are struggling to find a market to sell their produce due to the extended lockdown owing to a surge in COVID-19 diseases.
At present, more than 380 tonnes of tapioca is ready for harvest in various grama panchayats in the district
District Panchayat President P.P. Divya, who held an online meeting with various grama panchayat presidents, said that the aim of the challenge was to find the market for the farmers by selling the tapioca kits collected from the farmers with the help of volunteers.
The produce will be collected through grama panchayats. Tapioca which could not be sold in the panchayat would be sold in other panchayats or in the urban and coastal areas of the district with the help of the district panchayat, she said and added they would also focus on residents’ associations.
Ms. Divya said it was mandatory to give at least ₹35 a kg to the farmers.
The current price of a 2.5-kg kappa kit was ₹50. On June 8, small outlets would be set up for sale on the national and State Highways to facilitate sale to passengers.
This would enable the farmers to make a profit and provide a small amount of money to the volunteers, she said.
