The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Sales badly hit at Kaveripattinam farmers’ market

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Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Sales badly hit at Kaveripattinam farmers’ market

R. Arivanantham

Local brokers blocking farmers’ products, says Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam

Photo: N. Bashkaran.

Seek intervention: Farmers displaying their membership identity card at the Kaveripattinam ‘Uzhavar Santhai’ in Krishnagiri district on Tuesday. —

KAVERIPATTINAM (KRISHNAGIRI): The ‘uzhavar santhai’ scheme has been badly hit at Kaveripattinam in Krishnagiri district.

The farmers’ market, built at a cost of Rs. 22 lakh with 24 shops, was inaugurated by the Collector, V.K. Shanmugam, on February 23 this year. Now adjacent to the market, another market has been put up by a few people with local political support, alleges G. Periyasamy, Taluk Committee Member, Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam.

He told The Hindu that the purpose for which the scheme was launched was severely hit. Complaints to the Collector and other officials did not bear fruit.

Mr. Periyasamy said the parallel market complex christened as ‘MGR weekly market’ was built by the Kaveripattinam Panchayat Union ten years ago as wholesale tomato mandi. Since, then it was occupied by some families of the narikuravars.

Soon after the ‘uzhavar santhai’ came into operation, the narikuravas were evacuated.

The intermediaries were blocking the farmers who bring their produce to the market and divert them to markets in Royakottai and Palacode for huge commission. As a result of which, the farmers could not bring and sell their products at uzhavar santhai.

The intermediaries buy farm products on lesser price and sell the same at huge profit to the outside traders. It was said that farmers could not even sell even 20 kg to 30 kg of tomatoes.

Tomato, brinjal and ladies finger were the common vegetables produced by the local farmers. Other vegetables are bought from Hosur Uzhavar Santhai and sold here, said a farmer.

In view of these hardships, farmers in uzhavar santhai blocked Kaveripattinam-Palacode state highway recently and sold vegetables on the road. Immediately, district officials and police rushed to the spot and promised them to find out an amicable solution. But, nothing had happened so far, Mr. Periyasamy said.

After this incident, Additional Collector Darez Ahmed inspected the market and promised to look into it.

Due to this, only 12 shops were kept open out of the 24. 19 weighing machines given to the farmers were kept at the uzhavar santhai office idely.

When contacted V.C. Govindasamy, chairman, District Agriculture Marketing Committee, said that it was the duty of the Kaveripattinam Panchayat Chairman Vivekanandan to regulate the market and settle the uzhavar santhai problem.

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