Increase paddy moisture limit to 22 %, appeal delta farmers appeal to central team

TIRUCHY: Delta farmers appealed to the central team which visited the region to increase the moisture limit to 22 per cent from 17 per cent as the samba crop has been widely affected due to the unseasonal rainfall and the continuous foggy weather.

The officials who are on a visit to study the moisture condition of the paddy, assured the farmers of a favourable response from the Centre.

While the samba harvest has commenced across the Delta region, the farmers witnessed several challenges in maintaining the actual 17 per cent moisture condition as there was an unseasonal rainfall and foggy weather that left the farmers in a lurch in drying the paddy to stick to the permitted moisture limit.

Citing these difficulties, farmers largely demanded an increase in the moisture condition of paddy for procurement to 22 per cent. The State government had sent a communication to the Union government in this regard and appealed to conduct a study by deputing a team.

Accordingly, on Wednesday, a central team comprising of Assistant Directors of Department of Food and Public Distribution (Storage and Research Division) Naveen and Preethi, Technical officers Rahul and Abhishek Pandey arrived in the Delta region to study the moisture conditions of paddy at Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Tiruchy, Pudukkottai, Perambalur and Ariyalur.

The team visited Kakkarai, Puthur, Telungan Kudikadu, Pulavankadu and Pappanadu near Orathanadu and inspected the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) and collected samples from every DPC for inspection.

The team also interacted with the farmers who explained that several lakhs of acres of paddy were damaged due to the northeast monsoon that cast heavy. The farmers also said that they had borrowed money for hefty interest and undertook cultivation but they faced severe loss in the yield.

At this juncture, maintaining the moisture condition at 17 per cent would be a risky factor and so they demanded to increase the moisture limit permanently to 22 per cent.

TNCSC Managing Director A Annadurai who accompanied the central team told the reporters that the Delta farmers are ready to provide the paddy at the prescribed 17 per cent moisture condition but the unseasonal rainfall in January and the foggy weather conditions played spoilsport. Hence the farmers demanded the central team to increase the moisture limit to 22 percent.

“The officials in the central team assured to get a favourable response from the centre,” Annadurai said.

He also said that the team had collected as many as 80 samples and added that a procurement of 5.76 Lakh MT has so far been procured in the State.

Thanjavur Collector B Priyanka Pankajam, TNCSC Senior Divisional Manager Karithigai Samy and others accompanied the team.