The Hindu : Kerala / Thrissur News : Chandy to open vanilla farmers' firm on April 16

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Thrissur

Chandy to open vanilla farmers' firm on April 16

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR, APRIL 5. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, will inaugurate Vaga Agro Products Limited, a company launched by the All-Kerala Vanilla Growers' Association at Angamaly, on April 16.

Addressing a Press conference here on Monday, the association president, Benjamin Eso, and the general secretary, Sudhir G. Kollara, said the company has been set up by the farmers for the procurement and processing of farm products and in turn liberate themselves from the clutches of middlemen.

Vanilla procurement

They said the Chief Minister would also inaugurate a scheme of the association to procure vanilla at the rate of Rs. 6,000 a kg at the function.

According to them, the market intervention strategy of the association has been of immense help to the vanilla farmers this year.

Middlemen and traders were trying to buy raw beans from the farmers at Rs. 250 a kg even when the market price was Rs. 4,200.

Raw beans

It was in such a crisis situation that the association decided to procure raw beans at Rs. 6,000 a kg. So far, nearly 30 kg of raw beans has been collected at the processing units of the Association at Idukki and Wayanad.

The association has earmarked Rs. 20 crores for the procurement of vanilla this year, the office-bearers said. Farmers' leaders from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will also attend the inaugural function apart from the people's representatives of the area.

Asokan Ambalavayal, Abraham Thomas and Davies Malakkaran were also present at the press conference.

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