JOIN USRyots edgy as copra prices hit new low
Coconut growers are facing a tough time with a sudden crash in copra prices at the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee in Arsikere. Coconut growers have been witnessing the fall in prices since the past seven months and the prices nosedived by another Rs 120 per quintal on Tuesday.
The price of copra per quintal on Friday was Rs 5,300 and the price on Tuesday reduced to Rs 5,125. With the traders predicting more fall in prices, the growers are anxious.
January 2011 brought cheers among farmers as the prices of copra reached Rs 8,000 per quintal, but the happiness did not last long as the later days saw a gradual fall in prices.
Important commercial crop
Coconut is one of the important commercial crops of the district and also surrounding taluks. It is also famous for quality yield and traders from various states throng the APMC yard in
Arsikere every day.
The current drought situation, pest attack, depleting water table, various diseases that are affecting the trees are said to be the reason for reduced yield this year.
The farmers are not only being affected by these problems, but fluctuating rates of copra is also giving them sleepless nights. The labour cost is rising every year and the crash in prices are pushing the farmers to a corner. The farmers say the government should pitch in and support them.
“It should come forward to open Nafed centres at the APMC yard and procure copra directly from farmers. Only then, the farmers would be benefited,” they opined.