TN to store at least 11 lakh MT paddy by December: Food Minister

TIRUCHY: Steps are initiated to store at least 11 lakh MT paddy in warehouses across the state, said Food Minister R Sakkarapani in Tiruvarur on Thursday.

Inspecting ongoing construction of semi-godowns on Tiruvarur TNCSC premises at a cost of Rs 4.02 crore, which could store 7,250 MT paddy, the Food Minister said, the warehouses with the capacity of 2,750 MT and three more with storage capacity of 1,500 MT each were under construction on TNCSC premises and works were under way at a rapid pace to complete them by December.

Pointing out that the price for fine varieties of paddy has been increased from Rs 1,940 to Rs 2,160, while the common variety has been increased from Rs 1,915 to Rs 2,115, he said, “last year the procurement in Tiruvarur was 1.86 lakh MT while this year till Thursday 1.80 lakh MT has been procured.”

Informing that kuruvai procurement was almost over in the district, Sakkarapani said that as many as 328 DPCs were opened in Tiruvarur and at present only 21 DPCs have been procuring paddy. An amount of Rs 405.63 crore has been paid to as many as 47,227 farmers, he added. Similarly, NABARD has released a fund of Rs 90 crore to maintain as many as 21 modern rice mills and 286 godowns owned by the TNCSC. With the completion of all the ongoing works, 11 lakh MT paddy could be stored across the state, he added.