Growers want coconut auction back!
Coconut growers are in a quandary as to why the authorities have suspended the coconut auction.
Growers opined that the auction was used as a benchmark in order to determine the prices at the retail market and suspending it will not get anyone anywhere.
Concerns were raised on the suspension of the auction since the price fluctuation and subsequent increase would be impacted due to this.
Small growers owning plots of about 10-15 acres of coconut land were able to earn a fair price based on the auction price. But now in the absence of an auction the growers complain there is no benchmark on the prices that they could relate to when determining the prices.
It was pointed out that with the prices for the industries being determined at the auction then the fresh market prices cannot spiral to amounts close to Rs.200.
Authorities had previously pointed out that the auction will be suspended as a result of ensuring that the state plantations can send their stocks of coconuts directly to the Sathosa outlets to overcome the current shortage in the market and bring down prices as well.
The suspension of the auction by the Coconut Development Authority will continue until March this year, according to authorities.
Further, it was pointed out that the industry should be provided with a subsidy scheme to obtain adequate stocks of fertiliser that could be applied on the plantations.
In this regard, the cess money collected from the industry could be used to obtain the necessary fertiliser at subsidised prices as well as moisture conservation.
Currently prices of a 50 kg bag of fertiliser costs Rs.10,500 and 3.3 kg of fertiliser is required per tree every year.
Small growers are facing a crisis as they were unable to apply the required fertiliser when it was banned and as a result the crop has dropped its yield. Today the cost of fertilisers has spiralled leaving the small grower in the lurch unable to purchase adequate quantities to increase the yield.
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