4 months ago
1
With the Pongal festival approaching, farmers successful Regunathapuram, Ramanathapuram, are moving tirelessly to harvest thenar sprouts (panankilangu), a seasonal delicacy.
Although January is typically a highest season, farmers study that debased rainfall and unfavourable upwind person made it hard to supply the h2o required for the sprouts to thrive.
Santhosh, a section farmer, explained that thenar sprouts are indispensable for accepted Pongal pujas, alongside paddy, vegetables, and turmeric.
However, helium said, the output has dropped significantly. “After harvesting 3,000 sprouts past year, she managed lone 2,000 this year. With 100 sprouts selling for conscionable ₹150 to ₹250, this alteration successful accumulation has deed farmers’ incomes hard.”
The harvest follows a abbreviated cycle—planted successful the Tamil period of Aavani and harvested by mid-January.
Local trader N. Dharmaraj noted that portion they person shipped adjacent to 1,000 bags to large cities similar Madurai and Coimbatore, the wide proviso is shrinking arsenic much thenar trees are chopped down.
He suggested that if the authorities included thenar sprouts successful festive acquisition hampers, it would supply a much-needed economical boost and assistance prevention the State’s ailing palmyra sector.
Due to a bumper harvest this twelvemonth successful districts similar Udangudi, Erode, and Ramanathapuram, the terms of a azygous thenar sprout has dropped from ₹2.50 to ₹2.
While the precocious output has led to this terms dip, producers are besides noticing a flimsy diminution successful section demand.
To offset this, traders are shipping ample quantities to neighbouring States similar Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, efficaciously balancing the marketplace and maintaining dependable income contempt the section slowdown.
