Farmers in Tiruppur Revolt Against the Government for Subsidizing Palm Oil Amid Declining Coconut Oil Prices

Farmers of Tiruppur have taken a step to speak up and protest against the large-scale distribution of palm oil through the public distribution or PDS units across Tamil Nadu, India. This has led to a fall-off in the coconut oil and groundnut oil prices. Their demand is to ban the imports of palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia while ensuring the supply of ingrown and processed coconut oil in the PDS units of Tamil Nadu. The movement aims to increase the procurement of coconut oil for the betterment of coconut farmers in the state amid a price drop of 10 INR for copra (feedstock for coconut oil) in India.

The Movement Demands to Stop the Sale of Palm Oil in the PDS Shops

A multitude gathered near the Palladam road in Tiruppur, organized by the Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Protection Movement on March 17th, 2024, demanded to stop the sales of palm oil in the public distribution systems. It also proposed the replacement of palm oil with coconut and groundnut oil for subsidized sale in the PDS units across Tamil Nadu. The protestors raised the point of the availability of the ingrown coconut, sesame and ground nut in the country, questioning the government for neglecting it.

Promoting the Procurement of Coconut and Groundnut Oil for the Welfare of the Indian Farmers

India imports around 70% of oilseeds for oil production, among which it also imports palm oil from countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. The imports of oilseeds not only impact the economy but also impact the sales of other oilseed varieties that are available in abundance in India.

The movement in Tiruppur is initiated to convey the problem faced by the farmers, especially the coconut farmers in Tamil Nadu, being able to generate a minimum revenue for their coconut cultivation amid the growing demand for edible oils. Promoting the distribution of coconut oil and groundnut oil varieties in the fair price shops, replacing imported palm oil, would contribute towards the betterment of the farmers and award them with the financial benefits they deserve.

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According to Procurement Resource, subsidizing palm oil imports has been pushing coconut oil prices down in India. As a result, farmers of Tiruppur have raised their demands to ban palm oil imports from Malaysia and Indonesia. The protest aims to gain attention of the government on the availability of the alternatives such as coconut and palm oil within the country which can be used for sales and distribution in the public distribution systems in Tamil Nadu. The movement anticipates achieving the approval from the government for theirs demands for the welfare of the Indian farmers.