Price revision not implemented, support price not supporting farmers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government scheme to directly purchase produce to save farmers in case of price drops has seen no update in the support price. Although the scheme started in 2020 has been in operation for five years, the support price has not changed in proportion to the market price. The support price is not even a quarter of what it would be if sold in the open market. The farmers' question is, will anyone sell tapioca, which costs Rs 40 per kilo, to the government for Rs 12? The government is offering a very low price for the 16 varieties of vegetables it buys from farmers. There are also complaints that the government is not considering the demand to increase the support price.

The floor price was fixed to protect farmers from price erosion and ensure fair prices in the market. The announcement was that the products collected through 559 storage centers would be sold under the brand name Kerala Farm Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.

Scheme as follows:

• 16 varieties of vegetables will be procured at a fixed price and sold through more than 1,850 marketing centres, including VFPCK and Horticorp, to ensure that their prices do not fall below the fixed price. The amount will be credited to the farmer's account.
• The support price is calculated by adding 20 percent to the production cost of each crop.

Crops, floor price (per kg)

Tapioca-Rs. 12

Raw Plantain-Rs. 30

Wayanadan Plantain-Rs. 24

Pineapple-Rs. 15

Wax gourd-9

Cucumber-8

Bitter melon-30

Snake gourd -16

Long beans-34

Tomato-8

Okra -20

Cabbage-11

Carrot-21

Potato-20

Beans-28

Beetroot-21

Garlic-139