Delta ryots seek separate procurement policy

TIRUCHY: Delta farmers approached the Central team, who came to Tiruvarur to inspect the moisture content of paddy on Tuesday, and appealed to recommend a separate procurement policy for Tamil Nadu as the rabi and kharif seasons are irrelevant, as the state receives both northeast and southwest monsoon rains.

The central team, headed by PK Singh, Deputy Director Storage and Research, Department of Food and Public Distribution, visited various DPCs across Tiruvarur district and inspected the moisture content of paddy by collecting samples for assessment.

While they were inspecting the DPC at Kovilvenni near Needamangalam in the district, the farmers led by PR Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association and General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Association, met the team and submitted a petition with the demands of the Tamil Nadu farmers.

According to the petition, Tamil Nadu is the only state in Indian to receive both the southwest monsoon (till October 15) and the northeast monsoon (from October 17), and so the Kharif and Rabi seasons, as per the union government, are irrelevant to the state. “So a separate procurement policy should be made for the state,” the petition stated.

The petition also pointed out that the farmers had harvested paddy with proper moisture condition but due to the commencement of monsoon, and as the procurement process was slow, the paddy stocks that were kept in front of the DPCs had drenched and got damaged. The union government should pass an order directing to procure paddy with the moisture condition up to 22 per cent without any condition.

“We have appealed to the central team to recommend the separate procurement policy during the conference of food corporation officials from South India scheduled in March in Hyderabad and fixed the relaxation of moisture condition up to 22 per cent permanent,” Pandian said after submitting the petition.

Pandian also stated that the farmers had also appealed to the team to recommend the proper infrastructure facility in the procurement centres, including driers in every DPC and a research centre for fortified rice in the Delta region, he said.

Meanwhile, Tiruvarur Collector V Mohanachandran who accompanied the central team told the reporters that kuruvai was cultivated in an area of 77,573 ha in the district and 2.90 lakh MT paddy procurement has been targeted.

“As many as 378 DPCs were opened for the kuruvai season this year and 2.20 lakh MT has so far been procured in which 1.72 lah MT has been moved to warehouses with an average movement of 10,000 MT per day by goods wagon from Mannargudi, Needamangalam and Thiruthuraipoondi points,” said the Collector.