Farmers worried about falling watermelon prices in areas around Coimbatore

Coimbatore: Farmers who have been cultivating watermelon fruit that is sought after to quench thirst in summer season are worried as the asking price is Rs 6 per kg.

Agriculture is mainly done in Karamadai Mettupalayam and Sirumugai areas of Coimbatore district. Farmers in Karamadai and its surroundings such as Chinnattiyur, Dolambalayam, Velliyankadu, Adimathianur, Kandiyur, Mathampalayam and Sirumugai Alangkombu cultivate watermelon during the summer.

But farmers are now worried that watermelon prices are falling due to the spread of coronavirus infection. Prakash, a watermelon farmer from Chinnatiyur, said that the work was started to cultivate watermelon for the last one and a half months since the summer. Since then the watermelons are now fully ready and there is no one to buy them at right prices, the fruits have started to rot in the plant.

Farmers say that few people who come to buy ask for a lower price. Ten days ago the watermelon was sold at Rs. 20 per kilo and at present it only costs 6 rupees. They say the production cost itself was Rs. 7 per fruit and they are not even able to earn their investment back.

When the farmers asked the traders about this they said they are not coming forward to buy from farmers as there is a complete lockdown on Sundays and curfew at night as the coronavirus infection spreads. The farmers have demanded that the Tamil Nadu government take action to purchase these watermelons