CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to double Tamil Nadu's rice procurement target from 16 lakh metric tonnes to 32 lakh metric tonnes for the current Kharif season.

In a letter, Stalin noted that paddy procurement in the State has increased significantly compared with last year. He noted that procurement has risen from 24.17 lakh metric tonnes last year to 36.63 lakh metric tonnes so far this season.

The Chief Minister said the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India are carrying out the procurement and the total quantity is likely to reach 47.50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy by the end of the Kharif season.

"Paddy procurement is continuing at an average rate of about 50,000 metric tonnes per day. If the trend continues, the total procurement is expected to reach 47.50 lakh metric tonnes, which would result in the delivery of approximately 32 lakh metric tonnes of rice," Stalin said in the letter.

Requesting that the procurement target be revised, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to increase the rice procurement target for Tamil Nadu on priority.

He also noted that he had earlier written to the Prime Minister on November 11, 2025, seeking a revision of the procurement target from 16 lakh metric tonnes to 32 lakh metric tonnes.