3 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Dharmapuri farmers urge state govt to establish cooperative mill for tapioca
DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Dharmapuri have urged the Tamil Nadu government to establish a cooperative mill exclusively for procuring tapioca from local cultivators. They argue that poor market demand coupled with low pricing is causing significant losses, and a cooperative mill would help improve their profits.
Tapioca is cultivated across approximately 12,700 hectares in Dharmapuri, with each hectare yielding about 43 to 50 tonnes. As tapioca roots take eight to nine months to mature, farmers typically realise profits only once a year.
Speaking to TNIE, K Saminathan of Harur stated, "Tapioca is primarily cultivated by small-scale farmers on less than two acres. Additionally, a lack of water makes crop rotations difficult. A cooperative mill procuring tapioca at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) would allow farmers to reap some benefits."
Another farmer, KS Saravanan of Bommidi, said, "Last year, tapioca fetched between Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per tonne during harvest season, but now it has dropped to as low as Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per tonne. However, every three months, we spend up to Rs 20,000 to sustain the crop. With additional transport and labour charges, farmers see little profit. Marginal farmers sometimes see no profit at all. A cooperative mill, operating similarly to a sugar mill, would not only help us with pricing but also provide us with improved varieties, new cultivation techniques, and exclusive schemes to reduce production costs."
Horticulture officials, commenting on the situation, explained, "Tapioca prices depend on demand in international markets. Hence, fluctuations are normal. Last year, prices were low, but in 2023-24, a tonne of tapioca was procured at Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000."
Regarding the request for a cooperative mill, Deputy Director of Horticulture Fathima said, "On behalf of the farmers, we have submitted a request to the state government. The decision rests entirely with the state government."
