Banana trees have been damaged due to gusty winds in J Krishnapuram area next to Sulur. Sulur MLA V P Kandasamy and District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati along with revenue department officials visited the spot and personally inspected the damages.
Coimbatore: Sulur MLA V P Kandasamy and Collector Kranthi kumar Pati inspected the damaged banana trees in the gusty winds near Sulur in Coimbatore district.
Farmers in J Krishnapuram, Valasupalayam, Vanchipuram, Vangapalayam, Mulanur, Chethampalli and Salaipudur in Sulur taluk of Coimbatore district have cultivated more than 300 acres of Theni Nendran and Kathali varieties of banana trees.
More than 150 acres of banana trees were damaged with bunches as they were caught in the sudden cyclonic storm last night while more than 150 acres were ready for harvesting.
According to farmers, more than one lakh trees have been damaged in 150 acres of land, while 1,000 banana saplings were cultivated at the rate of 1,000 banana saplings per acre.
They also said that they had spent Rs 1.5 lakh to cultivate one acre of banana and suffered a loss of Rs 2 lakh per acre due to damage to the banana at the time of harvesting.
Honey Nendra banana is currently being purchased at Rs 28 per kg and Kathali banana at Rs 30 per kg. They also demanded that the district administration should properly assess the damaged banana trees and give proper compensation to the affected farmers.
Sulur MLA V P Kandasamy, Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi kumar Pati and revenue officials inspected the damage caused by the cyclonic storm in the estate of Govindasamy, a farmer in Krishnapuram village.
The district collector also asked the revenue officials how many banana trees have been affected in Sulur area.
Speaking to reporters, coimbatore district collector said that following Annur and Mettupalayam areas, a survey of banana trees damaged in the cyclone is also underway in J Krishnapuram areas under Sulur taluk.
After completion of the survey work, a recommendation will be made to the Government of Tamil Nadu to provide compensation to the insured farmers and uninsured farmers. Similarly, farmers have been advised to take silt from 34 tanks across Coimbatore district. The farmers should be benefited by filling up the applications for the same.This is what the District Collector said.