Centre deputes three teams to assess paddy quality in TN
The visit of the central teams comes amid mounting criticism from the opposition over delays in paddy procurement through direct purchase centres.
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CHENNAI: The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has deputed three teams to Tamil Nadu to evaluate the quality of paddy affected by the recent rains, following request from the State government for relaxation in procurement norms during the kharif marketing season 2025–26.
In an official communication dated October 23, the Department of Food and Public Distribution said the teams will collect paddy samples from rain-affected districts in coordination with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the State government. The Tamil Nadu government, in a letter dated October 19, had sought relaxation in the uniformity specifications for paddy procurement.
Citing widespread rainfall in major paddy-growing areas, the State government urged the Centre to raise the permissible moisture content in paddy from 17 per cent to 22 per cent. The recent downpours, officials noted, had led to increased moisture levels in harvested grain, rendering them non-compliant with the existing procurement standards for the central pool.
The ministry has instructed that the collected samples be tested at FCI laboratories in Tamil Nadu. A consolidated report with recommendations will then be submitted to the Department of Food and Public Distribution for further consideration.
The deputed teams, comprising officers from the ministry’s Storage and Research Division, will work closely with officials of the State government and the FCI Regional Office in Chennai. Their findings will help determine whether temporary relaxation of procurement norms is warranted to protect farmers’ interests and ensure continuous procurement operations.
The visit of the central teams comes amid mounting criticism from the opposition over delays in paddy procurement through direct purchase centres.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday accused the State government of misleading farmers by claiming on the floor of the Legislative Assembly that about 2,000 bags of paddy were being procured daily at each centre, whereas, in reality, the number was closer to just 800 bags.
Responding to the accusation, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam said that the DMK government, after assuming office, had increased the daily procurement capacity to 1,000 bags per centre, compared to 600 bags a day during the previous AIADMK regime.
