Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) has procured 684 tons of vegetables from its farmers last week, after an announcement from the Agriculture Ministry on measures to address the price hikes.
VFPCK spokespeople said that a total of 1,100 tons of tomatoes have been purchased from its farmer groups (mainly in Palakkad). Horticorp purchased another 300 tons, in an attempt to stem the skyrocketing prices of tomatoes. The procured vegetables were sold in their markets at a lower price.
However, due to the prices hikes, many growers are selling in the open markets as they are getting better prices there. There is also an issue of delay in payment from governmental agencies and hence farmers are reluctant to sell their produce to official procurement agencies.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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