Nilgiris Co-operative Marketing Society’s Mettupalayam branch has sold 21,000 tonnes of Ooty potatoes in last 10 months

COIMBATORE: A total of 21,000 tonnes of Ooty potatoes worth Rs 57.58 crore have been sold in the last 10 months at the Nilgiris Co-operative Marketing Society branch in Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district.The branch office of the Nilgiris Co-operative Marketing Society has been functioning on the Nellithurai Road in Mettupalayam since 1935. A service charge of 7% is being collected from farmers for conducting the auction sale. Traders procure potatoes through auction for domestic markets and to export them to destinations like the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Potatoes are sent to the Andaman Islands, as well.Since the produce is sold through auction without intermediaries, farmers are not required to pay commission to agents.

Farmers can avail loans against their potatoes even before the auction takes place. The society allows round-the-clock delivery of produce without time restrictions and provides rooms for farmers to stay at a nominal charge of Rs 200 per day. Due to these facilities, Nilgiris potato farmers prefer selling at this co-operative society rather than in the open market.S Saravanakumar, a potato farmer from Thuneri in the Nilgiris, said nearly 90% of potato farmers in the district sold their produce through this society due to its transparency.

During the 2021-2022 financial year, 15,436 tonnes of potatoes worth Rs 37 crore were sold. In 2022–2023 financial year, 13,089 tonnes of potatoes worth Rs 32 crore were sold. In 2023–2024 financial year, 21,750 tonnes worth Rs 56 crore were sold. In 2024–2025, sales increased to 20,890 tonnes and worth Rs 75 crore. In the current 2025–2026 financial year, as of January 31, a total of 21,781 tonnes of potatoes worth Rs 57.59 crore have been sold.Potatoes grown in the Nilgiris district are sold daily through auction at this society. According to D Muthukumar, deputy registrar and managing director of the Nilgiris Co-operative Marketing Society, Udhagamandalam, the society was established in Mettupalayam to simplify the potato market for commercial trade.During the peak season, more than 100 farmers from areas including Coonoor, Kotagiri and Ketti bring potatoes daily and sell them directly without middlemen. Potatoes are graded based on size and colour before sale. As this branch exclusively deals with potatoes, it has gained strong support and goodwill among farmers. The number of farmers transporting produce to Mettupalayam has increased from 7,906 last year to 8,153 in the first 10 months of this year, according to him.