Tamil Nadu - Dindigul   

Boom time for cauliflower farmers in Dindigul district

K. Raju

Following bumper harvest and better prices Hundreds of lorry loads are sent to Kerala every day from Oddanchatram wholesale market

GOOD YIELD: A woman at her farm at Vadakadu village on Pachalur hills near Dindigul. — PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

DINDIGUL: Bumper harvest and better prices have brought cheers to cauliflower growers in Oddanchatram block, thanks to a good demand for this vegetable in Kerala and in several cities in the State.

Excellent soil and climatic conditions and sufficient water for irrigation have lured farmers of several villages on Pachalur and Adalur hills and Ambillikkai, Kallimandhayam, Pappampatti and Chathirapatti in Palani block to cultivate cauliflower in a large scale.

Farmers in Vadakadu and other villages on Pachalur hills have started harvesting the 180-day crop.

Oddanchatram wholesale market, that sends hundreds of lorry loads of vegetables to Kerala every day, has been receiving 10 lorry loads of cauliflower a day from Pachalur hills alone.

Kaliammal, a woman, who has raised cauliflower on two acres at Vadagadu village, says the vegetable fetches a very good price in the recent days.

"Presently we get Rs.90 for a bag of 15 flowers. On an average, we harvest 25 to 30 bags a day. The first cutting season commenced this month. One can pluck flowers thrice from a plant during each season. After harvest, the plants would be destroyed and fresh plants are raised," she says.

Deciding factors

Quality, colour and size of the flower are the deciding factors for fixing the price. Last year, prices of cauliflower, despite a good quality, plummeted to Rs.35 and later on hovered below Rs.45.

The size of the flower becomes smaller during second and third plucking seasons. Small-sized ones fetch low prices, she says.

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