Cold storage for six farmers’ markets

The Agri Business department has established cold storages in six Uzhavar Santhais (farmers’ markets) in Salem and Namakkal districts facilitating farmers to keep their perishable produce safe. The facility has been provided in the shandies at Sooramangalam, Dathagapatti, Ammapet and Attur in Salem district and Namakkal town and Rasipuram in Namakkal district at a cost of Rs 6.05 lakh each.The storage facility can accommodate two tonnes of vegetables at a time.With adequate racks and crates provided, more farmers can store their left over produce in the facility, says Deputy Director of Agriculture (Agri Business) M. Subramaniam.The six shandies get about 10 tonnes of vegetables a day and a large number of people visit these shandies to purchase the produce. The establishment of cold storage in these markets will primarily benefit the farmers coming from far off places, officials say. When the shandies witness heavy arrivals, farmers are forced to sell their produce at throwaway rates.With the establishment of cold storage, farmers can now store the perishables and sell them on the following day, they add.The department has a plan to collect 25 paise a kg as charge for keeping the produce in the cold storage