Parties relegate palm industry to background

Chennai: In the run up to the May 16 Assembly poll, the plight of palm farmers has taken a backstage. No major political party has accorded importance to the ordeals faced by over 15 lakh palm farmers in the state.

The parties have forgotten the Tamil Nadu State Palmgur and Fibre Market Cooperative Federation, which is already in deathbed due to apathy of central and state governments, it is pointed out.   

Palmyra tree was a native of tropical Africa but cultivated and naturalised throughout India. The tree has been declared as ‘state tree in Tamil Nadu’.  Till several decades ago, the state was a pioneer in development of palm products industry in India.  

To promote and better utilise palm products and  alleviate rural poverty, the state government set up palm products industry. The federation was formed in 1967.

Nearly 1,000  Primary Palm Jaggery Cooperative Societies, eight district Palmgur Marketing Cooperative Federations and the federation were involved in production and trading of palm products.

The federations raised palm trees on several acres at Madhavaram, Kadapakkam in Villupuram district, Cuddalore, Mathur, Madurai, Manamadurai, Srivilliputhur, Thoothukudi and Colachel. The centres were fermenting 3,000 litres of Neera and 200 kg of palm jaggery regularly. Palm sugar, palm oil, candy, preserved ‘nungu’, palm fruit jam, palm chocolate varieties and non-edible products such as palm leaf and fibre articles, brush varieties and other handmade products were produced in the place.

In 2002-2003, of the estimated 8.59 crores of palmyrah trees in the country, about 5.10 crores were in Tamil Nadu. The state was considered a potential centre for the growth and development of palm products industry to a greater extent so as to attract foreign exchange by exporting palm products.
 In the beginning, the federations employed nearly 1,000 staff members, including workers. However, this has shrunk to 200 after 2002 as neither central nor state governments accorded importance to the federations. They were languishing without assistance from government. They depended on sale of the products for their salary and other expenses.

The federations, which come under the Tamil Nadu Khadi and Village Industries Board, have assets worth Rs 2,000 crore. Due to the indifferent attitude of officials, the industry has been facing an imminent death. As no political parties recognised the existence of the federations, there will be no palm industry in a few years, it is feared.

Similarly, no major political parties expressed intention of improving the welfare of over 15 lakh palm farmers. Palm farmers were predominantly living in Trichy, Karur, Theni, Thoothukudi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Sivagangai districts.