Drumsticks price drops to Rs 20/kg, upset farmers seek MSP

TIRUCHY: While the state government has been initiating all steps to establish ‘Moringa Mission’ in various districts, including Karur, to boost economy of the farmers, the fall in price of drumsticks to just Rs 20 per kg in Aravakurichi, a major spot in the district for the production of the crop, has dejected the farmers. They demanded the government to accelerate the process and fix a minimum support price to save them from loss.

Aravakurichi region in Karur is noted for moringa cultivation where over 30,000 acre moringa cultivation has been undertaken in as many as 20 villages, including Echanatham, Alamarathupatti, Santhapadi, Kovilur, Nagampalli and Venjamankudalur.

Since there is a bumper harvest of drumsticks in the region, the price of the crop has declined too low and on Tuesday, it was sold at Rs 20 per kg in wholesale and Rs 5 per piece in the retail market. “The same crop was sold between Rs 70 and 80 per kg till Sunday and we are worried a lot that the fruit of our hard work goes meaningless leading to severe loss,” said Kalyanasundaram, a moringa farmer from Aravakurichi.

Kalyanasundaram said that there was no proper storage facility. Since there was a high yield, the traders fixed a certain price citing the heavy flow to market. “If the government fixes an MSP for this crop and procures them by a government run institution, the farmers would be saved,” said Kalyanasundaram.