Will recommend to revise paddy moisture level, assures Central team

This assurance was given by the team during its visit to Thanjavur on Tuesday to review the moisture condition of paddy and submit a report to the Centre in 15 days.

The kuruvai cultivation was undertaken in the Delta region in an area of 4.31 lakh acre and the harvest was under way in full swing. As the region has been experiencing rains for the past few weeks, the moisture condition of most of the paddy harvested and piled up had exceeded 20 per cent. As a result, the DPC staff refused to procure the crops citing they were beyond the prescribed moisture condition of 17 per cent.

Disappointed by the refusal and fearing damage to their produce, farmers staged widespread protests seeking to relax the moisture condition level.

When Food Minister R Sakkarapani visited the Delta, various farmers’ associations urged him to recommend to the Centre to increase moisture condition, a long pending demand. The Minister assured to convey their demand to the Union government.

In such a situation, a Central team, led by MZ Khan, Deputy Director (Storage and Research), Quality Control Cell, Hyderabad, Department of Food and Public Distribution, arrived at Thanjavur to inspect the DPC at Arasoor. They took samples of paddy and checked the moisture condition by paddy moisture metre. They also took some samples with them.

Speaking to reporters, Khan said, the team would tour all the Delta districts and study the condition. “We have taken samples of paddy for our study and will submit a report to the Centre within 15 days in which we will recommend to revise the moisture condition and the Centre will make an announcement accordingly.” The team in its next leg would visit Tiruvarur on Wednesday and Nagapattinam.

TNCSC, Joint Managing Director, MS Sangeetha, Thanjavur Senior Regional Manager Uma Maheswari and others accompanied them.