TN farmers seek direct procurement of cane for PDS

TIRUCHY: Delta farmers have urged the State government to include locally procured jaggery and a pair of edible sugarcanes in this year’s Pongal package for all ration card holders.

They noted that the annual package, distributed to over 2.32 crore families, typically contains sugar and a single stem of sugarcane. Replacing sugar with achu vellam (mould jaggery) and issuing two canes instead of one, farmers said, would significantly support lakhs of sugarcane cultivators.

Farmers alleged that while the government pays contractors Rs 35 per cane, middlemen with political backing procure cane from growers for just Rs 13-15. “This pushes farmers into a loss. The government should purchase directly from us and fix the price at Rs 45 per piece this year so that we get a fair profit for our labour,” said Sambantham, a sugarcane farmer from Umayalpuram, Thanjavur. He also sought direct payment to farmers’ bank accounts to prevent any possible financial malpractice.

They further appealed that the jaggery included in the Pongal kit be sourced from local producers, as this would benefit thousands of workers involved in traditional jaggery making.