Paddy procurement row: Ignorant oppn blaming govt despite best efforts, says TN Minister MRK Panneerselvam

CHENNAI: State Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department, MRK Panneerselvam, on Saturday responded to allegations made by opposition leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and K Annamalai, regarding paddy procurement delays and crop damage in the Delta districts, asserting that the government has taken extensive and timely measures to support farmers and safeguard the kuruvai crops.

Addressing reporters at the Secretariat, the minister said the opposition was "politicising paddy procurement without understanding agriculture or ground realities." He noted that heavy rain followed immediately after the onset of the North East Monsoon this year, making early harvesting impossible. "Paddy can only be harvested after ripening. Advising farmers to harvest before maturity shows ignorance," he remarked, indirectly criticising former BJP state president K Annamalai.

Panneerselvam said Chief Minister MK Stalin's administration had significantly strengthened kuruvai cultivation through policy reforms, subsidy support, and improved irrigation. "This year alone, Rs 214 crore has been allocated for kuruvai cultivation. Machine planting assistance of Rs 4,000 and free inputs have benefitted thousands of farmers," he said.

He further pointed out that the procurement price for paddy was increased to Rs 2,500 per quintal, resulting in improved livelihood stability and record production. Over the last 53 months, the government procured 1.93 crore metric tonnes of paddy, surpassing the 1.19 crore metric tonnes procured over the previous 10 years.

The minister also highlighted massive infrastructure expansion, stating that 7.33 lakh metric tonnes of new storage capacity had been created in just four years, exceeding the storage infrastructure built during the previous decade.

Rejecting opposition criticism, he said, "They demand instant harvesting even when crops are green. Instead of misguiding the public, they should acknowledge that farmers today are better supported, insured, and protected."

He added that all harvested paddy from the Delta region had been secured in safe storage facilities.