141 DPCs will be set up, says Collector

MADURAI As many as 141 direct purchase centre (DPCs) would be set up across Madurai district, said

As many as 141 direct purchase centre (DPCs) would be set up across Madurai district, said Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar at the farmers’ grievance redress meeting here on Friday.

Many farmers raised the need for more DPCs to be set up in the district since the cost for transportation doubled and the time it took affected the quality of the products.

Murugan, a farmer, said that the officials had not responded to their petitions thus far and sought a concrete answer from the panel as to when the DPCs would be set up. He was seconded by many since they noted that harvest season was around the corner.

The Collector said that DPCs would be established in phases according to the time of harvest expected in each region.

According to an official data, the DPCs would cover produce from 38,122.9 acres across the district. The regions expecting harvest in the first week of January included Thirumal, Kuraiyur and Vagaikulam among others.

P. Manikandan, president, Wetland and Dryland Farmers’ Association, highlighted the persistent issue of wild boar menace damaging farmlands.

“Just four days ago, around 20 wild boar entered my farmland spread across 4 acres in Vikkiramangalam in Chellampatti block at night and damaged the intercrops – maize and red gram – and I had to bear the loss right around harvest time. The boars also feed on earthworms affecting the health of the soil,” he said.