Steep fall in the price of Korai grass, main raw material for making mats, has caused concern among farmers in Tiruchi and Karur districts.
The grass is cultivated on large tracts of land along the banks of the Cauvery. It is mainly grown in areas such as Musiri, Mohanur, Paramathi, Vangal, Kuppuchipalaym, Velur, Pandamangalam, Nangavaram, Melanangavaram, Pettavaithalai, Thottiam, and neighbouring villages.
With harvesting of the grass under way over the past few days, a large number of middlemen and brokers have arrived Musiri and other areas for buying grass, which will in turn be sent for the mat production units in Musiri, Vaniyampadi, and Salem. The grass is sent to a few north Indian states as well.
However, the prices offered by the middlemen have brought down the spirit of farmers.
As per the current market condition, grass raised on an acre fetches a meagre price of Rs.11,000 as against the average price of Rs. 25,000.
There were instances in which the farmers were offered up to Rs. 30,000 an acre a few years ago.
“The current price is inadequate to meet the overheads on raising korai grass. We suffer heavy loss. We do not have alternative options except selling it to middlemen,” says R. Selvam (45) of Ayyampalayam near Musiri.
Farmers complain that it is the middlemen, who fix prices for korai grass. The farmers have been kept in the dark as they do not know the actual price in the market.
They said that the middlemen and brokers fix prices at the fields as per the wish of them. They were the real beneficiaries in the cultivation of korai.

Source : The Hindu