TN identifies Farmers Markets for storage facility:Minister

Tiruchirapalli, Aug 22 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government had identified 60 Farmers Markets (Uzhavar Sandai) to set up a mini cold storage facility to enable farmers to store unsold produces till they get a good price for them, State Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam said today.

Talking to newspersons here, after reviewing the agricultural input stock position with the District Collectors of Tiruchirapalli, Pudukottai and Perambalur districts, he said the markets were selling three to four tonnes of vegetables every day.

Mr Arumugam said 50 more markets would be set up shortly, in addition to the 103 in the State.

The Minister said the Government had called for tenders for the joint-venture partnership to set up Mega Terminal Vegetable markets in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. Under the proposed venture, any individual could form a partnership with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation(TIDCO), he added.

He denied rumours on the shortage of Fertilizers in the State and said efforts were on to supply 2.42 lakh tonnes of urea, 84,000 tonnes of DAP and one lakh tonnes of potash.

He said the Government had earmarked Rs 30 crore for procurement of imported DAP Fertilizer from Indian Potash Limited through TANFED.

Under this programme 22,000 tonnes of DAP was received and 50,000 tonnes additional potash was expected to arrived in the next two months.

Mr Arumugam said it was proposed to cover 79,847 hecatres under Kuruvai paddy crop in Cauvery Delta districts. Samba and Thaladi crop would be covered in 6,42,600 hectares during the current year, he added.

The minister said the Government had urged the Centre to enhance the compensation amount of Rs 2500 per acre for the damaged banana plantation and cover individual farmers under the crop insurance scheme, instead of the existing pattern.

UNI