4 copra procurement centres opened

There has been a good response from the coconut farmers even as the prices are expected to recover and grow beyond the minimum support price levels

Kakinada: Following the slide in prices of copra (dried coconut kernels, from which oil is obtained), the State government has decided to procure commodities at minimum support prices to prevent distress sale by farmers.

Coconut prices were ruling at Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000 per 1,000 coconuts against Rs 7,000-Rs 8,000 a few months ago. The falling prices have left farmers worried in the district.

The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) has come to the rescue of growers by opening four procurement centres to purchase the commodity from growers at Mummidivaram, Ambajipeta, Amalapuram and Komaragiripatnam in Konaseema area in the district. Konaseema accounts for the substantial production of coconut crop with an estimated one lakh coconut trees in the area.

It may be mentioned here that the farmers urged the State government to fix the minimum support price for copra for the benefit of coconut farmers. The issue was taken to the notice of Amalapuram MP P Ravindra Babu and Kakinada MP Thota Venkata Narasimham, who is a member of Coconut Development Board (CDB).

The intervention of these two people’s representatives helped set up four copra procurement centres in the district in June. These purchase centres are procuring copra at Rs 5.95 per quintal.

Representative of coconut farms and former BJP district president Vetukuri Suryanarayana Raju said with the opening of procurement centres, the farmers are able to get remunerative prices for their commodities.

Amalapuram MP Ravindra Babu said whenever prices fall below MSP, the State government intervenes and procures copra from farmers at MSP through the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation, which is the nodal agency.