Makkal Paathai shows ‘profitable’ way to farmers
TIRUCHY: Witnessing the plight of Thanjavur farmers, who were struggling to get a reasonable price for their vegetable produce, Makkal Paadhai, an NGO lent a supporting shoulder by procuring vegetables from them and distributing to the public free of cost.
The farmers, residing along river banks in Tiruvaiyaru and Tirukattupalli have been cultivating brinjal, ladies finger, bitter guard, banana and greens during February after samba harvest gets over. However, when the vegetables were ready for harvest, there was an outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown was implemented. This led the farmers to dejection.
Finding no other go, the farmers had to sell it to local residents and local vendors who buy them for the lowest price as possible and this led to a heavy loss to the farmers.
On seeing their plight, Makkal Paadhai, an NGO which has been guided by IAS officer U Sagayam, had lent a helping hand to these farmers. The members of the organisation went to the fields and procured the vegetables from these farmers with a reasonable price and started distributing to the poor for free.
“We heard that the farmers were struggling to sell their vegetables they had cultivated due to lockdown. We gave them a reasonable price and they were happy about it and distributed them along with essential items worth Rs 800 to those who lost work, widows and the poor from the initial stages of lockdown to till date,” said R Kapil, Thanjavur district Coordinator of the organisation.
Kapil further said that they had procured at least two tonnes of vegetables from the farmers and distributed them to the people who are in need. “This is just a support to the farming community who were affected a lot during the lockdown. They were happy as their produce had not gone waste,” Kapil added.
He assured that the service would continue till the situation becomes normal.