Tamil Nadu - Erode   

10,000 bags of sunflower seeds auctioned

Staff Reporter

Hectic competition from oil extraction companies at Vellakoil regulated market

BOUNTIFUL HARVEST: Sunflower seeds being packed in gunny bags at the Vellakoil regulated market. - Photo: M. Govarthan

ERODE: More than 10,000 bags (each containing 50 kg) of sunflower seeds arrived at the Vellakoil Regulated Marketing Committee on Thursday. Auction was conducted till late midnight, as a large number of buyers visited the market.

Vellakoil market is the biggest sunflower seed auction centre in Tamil Nadu, where farmers from Erode, Dindigul, Salem, Theni and Madurai districts bring their produce for sale.

Secretary of Erode District Marketing Committee A. Venkatachalam said that the demand for sunflower seeds was on the rise and oil extraction companies from Coimbatore, Erode and other districts purchased sunflower seeds from the Vellakoil market.

Encouraging price

Farmers were also getting encouraging price for their produce. On Thursday, the crop fetched Rs. 14.83 to Rs. 18.87 a kg of sunflower seed, he said.

Superintendent of Vellakoil Regulated Market Committee S.Velusamy said that only quality seeds arrived at the market and there was hectic competition from oil mill owner for the seeds. From January till date, more than 5,500 tonnes of sunflower seeds was auctioned in the Vellakoil market alone.

Mr. Velusamy said that on every Thursday, auction was being conducted and this time, 10,652 bags (each containing 50 kg) arrived at the market and all of them were sold. He was hopeful of getting minimum 15,000 bags for the next week's sale. Enough space was available in the market to keep the stocks and all infrastructure developments were made for the benefit of sellers and buyers, he said.

According to the Agricultural Departmental officials, farmers who raised sunflower on their land get encouraging revenue. Last year, the crop was cultivated on 233 hectares and this year it is on 762 hectares. They said that by this year- end, another 250 hectares would be brought under sunflower cultivation.

Regarding the yield, the officials said that 1,250 to 1,500 kg of seeds could be harvested from the normal variety crop on a hectare and the yield would be from 1,500 to 2,000 kg a hectare for hybrid variety.

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