Nilgiris Vegetable Farmers Seek Cut In Garlic Commission

Vegetable growers in the Nilgiris urge a reduction in commission in garlic mandis (a wholesale marketplace or commission shop which facilitates the farmers to sell their farm produce) in the vegetable auction centres in Mettupalayam in the foothills of the Nilgiris to help the hill farmers tide them over the financial crisis due to lack of rain. 

In a statement, K. Surendran, vice president of the Nilgiris Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (NPVGA), said the Nilgiris-grown garlic is known for its



taste, flavour and quality.

In recent months, the hill farmers who cultivated garlic began to suffer due to a lack of sufficient rains, an increase in the cost of cultivation, and low yields that added to the woes of farmers who took up garlic cultivation. 

In order to tide over the crisis, the NPVGA requested the management of the vegetable mandis in Mettupalayam to reduce the commission being collected by the mandis for facilitating the auction trade from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.