Thanjavur districts raise hopes for farmers
Thanjavur collector N. Subbaiyan inaugurating delta mart at Thanjavur on Sunday. (Photo: DC)
Thanjavur: One Nal Paramasivam is a farmer from Orathanadu in Thanjavur district. He is a member of the Cauvery Delta Agro Producer Company Ltd (CDAPCL). He is now supplying organic banana, and rice to ‘Delta Mart (DM)’, business wing of CDAPCL, which started functioning here from Sunday.
“I reach to consumers directly through DM. Intermediaries are not there and I can fix the price for my produce. Consumers also gain as no intermediaries are there,” says Paramasivam, who was present at the inauguration of DM. “I am selling at Rs 20 a kg and Rs 15 a kg of bananas of two varieties. I sell rice at Rs 60 per kg” he said.
G. Durairaj, another farmer from Uppuviduthi near Thiruchitrambalam near Pattukottai has supplied coconut to the Delta Mart. He is selling a nut at Rs 10 to Rs 12. “This is organic coconut and hence the price is high,” he said.
P. Kalpana, another farmer from Pannaiyur has supplied organic tender coconuts to DM. Farmers can sell value-added products produced by them through DM. M.Ilanchezhiyan of Velanpannai has brought jaggery (organic) for sale. Thottiyam Banana Producers group has supplied dry banana fruits. Price is Rs 150 for 200 grams pack.
‘Kalanjiyam’, a woman Self Help Group has supplied eatables made of organic products. All these farmers are members of CDAPCL. There are 1000 farmer-members in the CDAPCL who can sell their agriculture produce, grown using organic farm practices, through DM. Farmers will share its profits.
Opening the ‘Delta Mart’ on Sunday, Thanjavur district collector, N. Subbaiyan appreciated the efforts taken by CDAPCL and said it would help the farmers. He purchased vegetables and formally inaugurated DM’s first sale.
N. Ramachandran, Vice-Chancellor of Periyar Maniammai University, which has registered the company under section seven of the Company Act in 2014 as an economic activity of ‘Periyar PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas)’, said that there are nearly 40 such marts in the country but only in DM of Cauvery Delta, 1000 farmers are members.
“We have links with other Marts also and provide marketing facility to their produce also,” Ramachandran said. Besides selling agriculture produce to farmers, we sell inputs also to farmers. For this, DM has signed an MOU with Victor laboratories of Coimbatore, Jain Irrigation and Romvijay Biotech Pvt Ltd from Puducherry,” he said.
The ‘Periyar Technology Business Incubator (PTBI)’, which supports and guides CDAPCL, has also supplied its products for sale at DM. “We have put 20 of our products, produced by students of Periyar Maniammai Technology for sale at DM” Aruna, PTBI’s CEO said.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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