Rice lorry drivers avoid Chennai due to lack of virus kit, long wait

CN Arun, president of Arani taluk Paddy and Rice Merchants Association, said, “due to lack of test kits at a quarantine centre in Thachur near Chennai, drivers are being forced to wait for one or two days till the kits arrive. After this, they have to spend another two to three days till the arrival of results. Overall, the process keeps them away from their families for nearly a week and hence they are reluctant to accept Chennai trips.”

This has resulted in transportation of rice from Arani, one of the biggest hulling centres in the state, to the State capital dwindling from the normal 30 loads (each of 15 tonnes) to a mere eight loads, sources said.

Asked whether they had sought official help, Arun said, “when we broached the matter to Tiruvannamalai Collector KS Kandasamy, he suggested that we ask the Chennai dealers to come and collect their stocks. Or, alternatively that we use a driver for 10 to 12 days making him stay in the godown itself till another driver took over for the next period during which the former could go home.”

“Because of the unexpected situation, price of coarse rice varieties has increased by Rs 4 per kilo from the earlier Rs 28, he added.

Farmers in integrated Vellore district are planning to switch over to horticultural crops from paddy, if the Central government goes ahead with its proposed move to amend the Electricity Act 2003, through the draft Electricity Bill 2020.

The Union Government has sought the opinion of the State government on the proposed amendment, which would increase domestic power tariff steeply in addition to cancellation of free power for agriculture. Tamil Nadu Farmers Association Vellore district president K Raja said, “We are studying the bill of the Central government. If it goes ahead with the move, it will make agriculture very costly and out of reach to an average farmer, who has less than an acre of land.”

This will mean that small and tiny farmers will be pushed out of paddy and sugarcane cultivation as both crops are water intensive. “With Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts having a total paddy area of one lakh acre (for the Sornavari, Samba and Navarai seasons), this will mean that the State will face a shortfall in rice, necessitating its import from neighbouring States which will entail higher prices.”

“A 25-kilo rice bag which now costs around Rs 1,250 will then sell for nearly double that price,” Rajac cautioned, adding, “farmers would be forced to switch over to horticulture crops like mango. Or else, they might move to cash crops like ground nut which needs water only once a week.” GA Kumaresan, another farmer, said, “We hope the State government will put its foot down against the move as otherwise it will lead to an all-round escalation of prices which the public will be unable to afford because of the present pandemic.”