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Coconut procurement centres evoke good response in Ch’nagar

The coconut procurement centres have evoked good response from farmers of the district, who have started registering themselves with the competent authority to sell their produce.

The procurement of coconuts will begin from Friday.The government has come to the rescue of the coconut growers by opening procurement centres at Chamarajanagar, Kollegal and Gundlupet Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards.

The government has also released Rs 1 crore for the district in this connection and Karnataka State Cooperative Federation will be the nodal agency. Though the procurement process has not yet begun, enrolment of farmers has started.

Till Wednesday, 90 farmers from Chamarajanagar taluk, 30 from Gundlupet and 10 from Kollegal have registered at their respective centres. The coconut growers, who were in a fix due to price crash, have turned towards the centre to wade out of the crisis. The farmers, who had hesitated to pluck coconuts are a relieved lot with the setting up of the centres.

The government has fixed Rs 1,600 per quintal of coconuts and Rs 16,000 per tonne. The farmers explained that for every 1,000 coconuts, they have to spend Rs 500 for plucking, besides Rs 400 as labour charges for dehusking coconuts and Rs 500 for transporting it to the centre. In all, they have to spend around Rs 1,500 for selling 1,000 coconuts. With the price nosediving, they faced huge loss. They pointed out that the price of coconuts was Rs 24,000 per tonne last year.

Procurement centre’s in-charge officer Jayakumar told that applications are being invited from farmers. The produce will be purchased from July 8 and no limit has been fixed. All coconuts brought to the centre will be procured. The amount will be directly remitted to the farmer’s bank account, he added.