Farmers express concern over rent for turmeric polishers and boilers

The State Agriculture budget’s proposal to provide turmeric polishers and boilers in regulated markets in Erode has not gone down well with farmers, who are calling for a significant reduction in machine rental costs. R. Selvakumar, secretary of Kalingarayan Mathagu Pasana Vivasayigal Sabai, pointed out that the Agriculture Department offers turmeric polishers for rent at ₹40,000 a year, a cost farmers feel is very high. “A new machine costs ₹2.25 lakh while the maximum subsidy for a machine is around ₹1.50 lakh,” he said farmers could benefit more from purchasing machines at subsidized rates instead of paying high rents. Farmers argue that even if polishers and boilers are available at regulated markets, the prices would be high.