Jayalalithaa announces setting up of procurement centres aimed to benefit coconut farmers

Chennai: Fulfilling her electoral promise, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday announced setting up of direct copra procurement centres aimed at benefitting coconut farmers in the wake of fall in its prices. The procurement centres would function for six months from 16 June in 20 districts producing higher quantum of copra, according to a press release. [caption id=“attachment_2789332” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Jayalalitha. PTI[/caption] A procurement price of Rs 59.50 per kg would be offered for milling copra and Rs 62.40 a kg for edible copra, she said. Pointing to her poll promise to extend support to coconut farmers whenever the prices of copra came down, she said the farmers had sought the relief now citing the present market price which was lower than Rs 50 a kg. Consequently, she chaired a review meeting on the matter at the state secretariat where it was decided to set up the procurement centres. The meeting, attended among others by Co-operation Minister Sellur K Raju, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R Kamaraj and Chief Secretary K Gnanadesikan, decided to set up the procurement centres in association with Agricultural Producers Cooperative Marketing Society (APCMS), Tamil Nadu Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd (TANFED) and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies (PACCS). The release said an initial capital of Rs 10 crore would be provided for the procurement and based on the farmers’ wish, the amount for procurement would be transferred to their bank accounts through ECS facility or by cheque. Besides, one per cent marketing committee cess and five per cent VAT to be paid to the State government by the farmers would be waived, she said, adding these measures would benefit coconut farmers.