With no buyers turning up in the last one month to purchase guavas harvested at Malliamman Durgham in Kadambur Hills, the current season has turned disastrous for people as they fear losing their main source of annual income.
The settlement is nested in the dense forests of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and nine km from a motorable road in Kadambur. Of the total 247 families, only 137 families reside there while others moved to Kadambur and Kalkadambur. Finger millet, broad beans, tapioca and other small millets are usually cultivated throughout the year that serve their own needs.
Their only source of income comes from the harvest of guava from August to October every day while jack fruit also provides them an income. About three tonnes of guava and jack fruit are taken in vehicles every day to Kadambur from where traders purchase them.
“We sold a box of guava weighing 25 kg between ₹ 500 to ₹ 750 two years ago. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year and this year, traders are not purchasing guava,” said M.K. Subramani, a resident. He said since traders did not turn up, people harvested guavas and took them to Kemmanaickenpalayam for sale. “Retail sales were very poor and we earned less than ₹ 100 a day,” he said and added that people stopped selling guavas directly.
Since they were unable to meet the expenses in transporting guavas to the market, the fruit was not harvested in the past four weeks.
Jack fruits are purchased by traders at price ranging from ₹ 20 to ₹ 50 a fruit while a few people sell the fruit in retail at the Kadambur bus stand. “Most of our annual income comes from selling guavas while less than 25% comes from selling jack fruits,” said Perumal.
Mr. Subramani wanted the district administration to purchase the fruits from them directly and market it so that their income was ensured in the year.
