No DPCS: Ranipet ryots pledging paddy in Co-ops to get cash for new season

DPCs were functional in the district more than five months ago at the end of the Sornavari paddy season. However, though the next samba paddy season has ended and farmers have harvested paddy, lack of response from the district administration to open DPCs resulted in most farmers needing cash to start cultivation in the present Navarai season. They are pledging paddy with cooperative institutions for the same, said R Subash, state president of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam’s youth wing.

The Sangam state secretary S Udaykumar opined that “paddy farmers relied on DPCs to offload their harvested paddy failing which they would be forced to sell to traders at rock bottom prices.” Sangam’s Ranipet district president CS Mani said, “Traders are willing to offer up to Rs 1,000 for an 80 kg bag of paddy whereas if we sold it to the DPC, the same bag would fetch us up to Rs 1,600 for the super fine variety.” Treasurer N Rajamanickam told DT Next, “With all tanks brimming farmers are hamstrung by lack of DPCs and so needing money for paddy cultivation in the present Navarai season, they are forced to pledge their paddy with cooperative banks.” Asked what would happen to such farmers if DPCs were opened, he said “they will have to borrow money on interest to retrieve their paddy which they will then offload at the DPCs.” Though Collector Baskara Pandian told to the newspaper a month ago, that “DPCs would be opened in a day or two” it never happened and repeated attempts to contact him on Saturday proved futile. So, Ranipet farmers are keeping their fingers crossed.