'Integrated turmeric auction centre will hurt farmers' held at four places in Erode

Traders said that if turmeric auction is conducted at one place, the price decision will be in the hands of big traders and turmeric growers will not get proper price.

Turmeric auctions are held at four places in Erode district namely Erode and Perundurai Regulated Markets and Erode and Gobi Co-operative Sales Societies and in private auction centre at Erode.

As the auction is held in four locations within a total of 20 km. the farmers and traders are demanding an integrated auction complex.

Regarding this, Erode Turmeric Traders and Warehouse Owners Association Secretary M. Sathyamurthy said: When the auction is held at one place, big girls, rich people and big traders negotiate the price. The small traders cannot resist it. Do, the farmers will not get good price, he said.

Co-operative society administrators said: Wherever the auction takes place, 1 percentage 'cess' is charged in the regulated market auction centre. A cess of 1.5 per cent is levied on auctions held in cooperative  societies to help farmers to get some benefits. Such welfare activities for farmers will be affected if the auction is held at one place, they opened.