They urge Government to directly purchase coconuts from them
— Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan
NOVEL PROTEST: CPI cadres staging a protest against low market price for coconuts near the taluk office in Tirupattur on Saturday.
TIRUPATTUR: Communist Party of India (CPI) cadres staged a novel protest near the taluk office here on Saturday by breaking coconuts to impress upon the State Government to directly purchase coconuts from farmers as well as fix a profitable price for them.
The CPI cadres, who gathered in large numbers, shouted slogans against the Centre, particularly Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.
The protesters said that coconuts trees were planted on 12 lakh acres across the State. A total of 3.5 lakh families depended on coconut farming for a livelihood. Another 15 lakh people were involved in coconut-related farming activities. As water was scarce in most of the districts, farmers preferred alternative cropping. In many of the districts, they preferred coconut farming as an alternative to paddy cultivation. However, the farmers were put to hardship due to low marketing rate for coconuts.
The protesters said that, except in Chennai and Mumbai, coconuts were sold for Rs.1.50 a piece in the market. But in metropolitan cities, including Chennai and Mumbai, coconuts were sold for Rs.10 to Rs.15 a piece. The “indifferent” attitude of the Centre and the State posed lot of financial burden on the farmers.
The Government should come forward to extend a compensation of Rs.2,000 for each of the trees that was seriously affected by diseases. Further, the Government must fix Rs.40 for a kg of copra and come forward to set up more copra purchasing centres in the State.
Printer friendly
page Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
