Shortage of gunny bags threaten paddy movement

According to farmers associaton members, gunny bags are normally procured from various rural cooperative societies by the Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) which then gives them to the DPCs. It is in these gunny bags that paddy is stored before being moved to CSC godowns and from there to the state PDS after hulling.

Farmers bring paddy to DPCs in various containers, including fertilizer bags, livestock fodder sacks and on occasions “even without bags in tractor trailers,” said Vellore district Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association president K Raja. The current lockdown, which disallowed people gathering in groups and lack of vehicles to transport to DPCs was cited as the reason for the shortage.

“This has resulted in farmers allowing harvested paddy to lie in the open as we can move paddy to DPCs only when we are sure of the availability of gunny bags,” said Palani, a farmer of Perumpulipakkam near Kaveripakkam.

Meanwhile , citing workers shortage, the DPC staff continue to extort up to Rs 75 per bag for weighing

and stitching, while the official charge is only Rs 25, farmers complained. What worries farmers more is the weather playing spoilsport with intermittent rain.