Agricultural Marketing committee lends a helping hand to farmers

The Agricultural Marketing Committee is offering various facilities to the farmers to market the agricultural produce through the 19 regulated markets in the district.

The regulated markets, which have good rapport with the traders, are involved in the activity of helping the farmers to market their produce for reasonable price.

Produce

These regulated markets sell 17 different types of varieties including paddy, cholam, ragi, kambu, groundnut, coconut, copra, cotton, turmeric, chillies and tapioca.

The marketing committee has set up 2,000 tonne capacity godowns on the Regulated Market Committee premises at Uthamacholapuram, Vazhappadi, Gengavalli, Attur, Mecheri and Omalur.

It also runs 25 tonne capacity cold storages at Uthamacholapuram, Vazhappadi, Attur, Gengavalli and Mecheri, a press statement of the District Collector K. Maharabushanam issued here on Thursday said.

In particular, the Regulated Market at Uthamacholapuram accounted for drying yard too.

The agricultural produce will not fetch reasonable price during the harvest period.

The farmers can deposit the farm produce at the godowns and cold storages and market the same when they fetch good price.

Referring to the other benefits of depositing the farm produce in the godowns and cold storages, he said that the micro and small farmers could fetch a loan up to 75 per cent of the value of the goods, up to a maximum of Rs. Two lakh, at five per cent interest rate. Other farmers could collect a loan up to 50 per cent value of the products.

The regulated markets collect minimum rent for the goods deposited at the godowns.

At the Uthamacholapuram Regulated Market, coconut and copra auction takes place every Friday.

The traders from different parts participate in the auction, and this enabled the farmers in getting good price, the release added.

Source : The Hindu