Farmers want State govt. to procure chilli as it gets low price from traders

The State government should procure chilli from growers as it was getting very low price from private traders, said farmers at the grievance redress meeting held here on Friday. A farmer from R.S. Mangalam, Balakrishnan, thanked District Collector B. Vishnu Chandran, who presided over the meeting, and other officials, for timely desilting of waterbodies and channels during the last season that helped in conserving water from the Vaigai in R.S. Mangalam Big Tank. He requested them to expedite the desilting works ahead of the rainy season now.

The State government should procure chilli from growers as it was getting very low price from private traders, said farmers at the grievance redress meeting held here on Friday.

A farmer from R.S. Mangalam, Balakrishnan, thanked District Collector B. Vishnu Chandran, who presided over the meeting, and other officials, for timely desilting of waterbodies and channels during the last season that helped in conserving water from the Vaigai in R.S. Mangalam Big Tank. He requested them to expedite the desilting works ahead of the rainy season now.

Many farmers wanted the officials to disburse garlic seeds by the first week of July itself.

A group of farmers from Kamudi, Kadaladi and other pockets wanted the government to procure chilli from them as the traders underpaid them. As a result, many marginal farmers suffered loss, they said.

The farmers also sought an increase in compensation for chilli crop, which suffered damage in rains, from ₹8,200 to ₹25,000 per hectare. Another group of farmers from Sikkal, led by Packianathan, said the compensation for the chilli growers was not paid since 2021.

Michael, a farmer from Ponnaganeri, said many farmlands near Valanadu tank were being purchased by some big industrialists from West Bengal. The district administration should stop it and cancel the sale deeds in the larger interest of the farmers. If the farmlands were put to commercial use, the green cover in the district would shrink, he added.

The Collector said the Public Works Department would desilt the tanks. Steps were being taken to disburse crop loans expeditiously through cooperative societies, he said.