Loss-hit tapioca farmers of Tamil Nadu demand MSP for 'November crop'

TIRUCHY: Tapioca farmers from across the State are left in the lurch, as the prices of yields have witnessed a sharp decline this year. The reason is attributed to the Sago factories, who have joined hands to fix the price of tapioca at the bare minimum.

Known as the crop of November, tapioca is cultivated this month. Last year, the buyers procured tapioca at Rs 1,200 per bag, while this year they are negotiating between only Rs 250 and Rs 300 per 80-kg bag. Hence, the farmers have appealed to the government to fix a proper Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Tapioca is an important tropical tuber crop in India. It is cultivated mainly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala and Tamil Nadu account for about 80 per cent of the total acreage in India.

In Tamil Nadu, tapioca is cultivated in an area of 1.96 lakh hectares with a production of 38.81 lakh tonnes. It is mainly cultivated in Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Tiruchy, Perambalur, Pudukkottai and Kanniyakumari districts.

Moreover, tapioca finds application as a raw material for starch extraction. Over 800 starch and sago factories spread over the Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur and Dharmapuri districts are flourishing in the manufacture of starch and sago.

Salem, Dharmapuri and Karur districts stand first in area and production in Tamil Nadu because of the soil and climatic conditions prevailing in these districts. Tapioca starch finds application principally for sizing of yarn textile industry and in paper industry. Prices are fixed based on its starch content. Several products such as glucose, savouries, cosmetics, capsules, pills and explosives are manufactured from tapioca starch.

The crop can be harvested from 9 to 11 months after planting. While the culinary purpose varieties mature between eight and eight and a half months, the industrial varieties mature at nine and a half to 10 months.

During tuber maturity, the leaves become yellow and 50 per cent of leaves dry and shed off. The soil near the stem base cracks. Tubers can be uprooted manually or by using a fork or crowbar at optimum soil moisture conditions and then tubers are cleaned, loaded and sent to the processing units.

Tapioca has been cultivated at around 50,000 acres of land in Tiruchy, Perambalur and Pudukkottai regions. While in Tiruchy and Pudukkottai, it is irrigated cultivation while in Perambalur the rain-fed cultivation system has been followed.

The irrigated cultivation commences in November and is hence called the ‘November crops”. The yield is normally 40 to 50 tonnes per hectare whereas the rain-fed cultivation that commences in April would get the yield between 20 to 25 tonnes per hectare.

However, the farmers claim that the pricing for tapioca had not been properly fixed for the past 10 years, so the price varies every year.

“We spend up to Rs 50,000 per acre for the cultivation including the wages for the workers and the herbicides and the actual yield would be 250 bags (each 80 kgs) per acre but this year we lost the yield due to various factors including the deceases Cassava mosaic virus,” said V Neelakandan, district secretary, Thamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam, Perambalur.

While there is an improper MSP for this crop, more than 70 per cent of crops in Perambalur had been damaged due to diseases and so ultimately the farmers had a severe loss this year, Neelakandan said.

He also appealed to the government to fix an MSP at Rs 900 to 1,000 per bag which would be a profitable pricing for the farmers who have been working on this cultivation for around a year.

“Like paddy and sugarcane cultivation, the government should fix MSP for tapioca to dismantle the monopoly marketing,” Neelakandan further said.

Tapioca products welcome in global market, TN needs to capitalise

Globally 58 per cent of tapioca produced is used as human food, 28 per cent as animal feed, and 4 per cent in alcohol and starch-based industries, according to available data.

The value-added products of tapioca are for human consumption and are a global success. Most of the households worldwide are in the practice of using the products one way or the other.

Thailand and Indonesia export tapioca chips and pellets to other countries. The pellets are used as animal feed in Western countries.

India, particularly Tamil Nadu and Kerala, has the potential to increase productivity further and compete in the export of chips and pellets in the international market.

Tapioca can be used as a raw material for several value-added industrial products such as starch, sago, glucose, dextrin, gums and fructose syrup. Most of the items mentioned are industrial products which can be categorised as “growth industries”.

The industrial tapioca starch finds its application in various fields. The major consumers are cotton and jute textile, and paper and cardboard industries. Liquid glucose and dextrose are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Both these sectors are in a rapidly growing stage.

Tapioca roots are also used to manufacture biodegradable plastic bags. A polymer resin produced from the plant is a viable plastic substitute that is not only biodegradable but can be composted. It is also renewable and recyclable.

This apart, conventional value-added products of tapioca are the Sago, Tapioca flour, Rava, Chips, Papads, Noodles, Wafers, Biscuits, pasta products, Sago Kheer and Sago Vadagam which are consumed widely across the world.

FACTFILE

- 96 lakh ha: Total tapioca cultivation in TN

- 270 to 300 days is the duration of the crop

- 40-50 tonne per ha (November to January): Yield of irrigated cultivation

- 20 - 25 tonne per ha (April to May): Yield of rain-fed cultivation

- Crop growing districts: Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Karur, Sivaganga, and Kanniyakumari

- Major markets: Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Karur and Erode

- Value-added products: Sago, Tapioca flour, Rava, Chips, Papads, Noodles, Wafers, Biscuits, pasta products, Sago Kheer, Sago Vadagam

- MSP in demand: Rs 1000 per 80-kg bag

- Currently sold: Rs 250 to 300 per 80-kg bag