The Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association has demanded that the State government fix ₹15,000 as the minimum support price (MSP) for tapioca, per tonne.
Farmers cultivating tapioca, a major crop in the Salem and Namakkal districts, claimed that the price of one tonne has dropped to ₹3,000, severely impacting their livelihoods. They have also demanded that the MSP be fixed not only for tapioca but also for the sago and starch derived from it.
Tamil Farmers Association State Secretary P. Perumal said that tapioca is cultivated in 18 districts of Tamil Nadu, including Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchi, Perambalur, Kallakurichi, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri. For the first time, the price of tapioca has fallen to ₹3,000 per tonne this year. Two years ago, it sold for ₹16,000 per tonne, and last year, the price dropped to ₹4,000 per tonne.
The price reduction is said to be due to the cultivation of tapioca on more acres of land. On behalf of the association, a petition was submitted to the departments concerned on August 21, requesting a tripartite meeting. Following this, a meeting was held on September 18 at the Salem Collectorate, presided over by Tourism Minister R. Rajendran. Tapioca farmers, sago manufacturers, and traders participated in the meeting.
The meeting lasted for three hours, and all participants agreed that the demand for a ₹15,000 MSP for tapioca was fair. At the end of the meeting, a decision was made to form a committee — comprising a sago manufacturer, a trader, a farmer, and an official from the Food Safety and Agriculture Departments — to submit their recommendations to the Agriculture Minister, Mr. Perumal added.
Stating that the decision had disappointed tapioca farmers, Mr. Perumal said that the harvesting of tapioca had already begun. By the time the committee’s recommendations reach the Agriculture Department, the harvest will be over. Therefore, considering the ground reality, the State government must immediately fix the MSP at ₹15,000 per tonne of tapioca, ₹4,500 per bag of sago, and ₹3,500 per bag of starch to protect the farmers’ livelihoods.
Urging this demand, farmers will stage a demonstration on October 8 in front of the district collectorates in areas where tapioca is cultivated, Mr. Perumal added.
Published – September 22, 2025 03:19 pm IST
