Sudden downpour damages paddy kept for procurement at Tiruvarur DPCs
This added to the worry of the farmers who have been struggling to meet the required moisture conditions for procurement.
Paddy stocks drenched as sudden and heavy downpour lashed Tiruvarur on Friday
TIRUCHY: Paddy stocks kept near the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) in Tiruvarur were drenched by the sudden rainfall that lashed from Thursday late hours to Friday morning.
This added to the worry of the farmers who have been struggling to meet the required moisture conditions for procurement.
As the samba harvest is going in full swing, the government has opened several temporary open-air DPCs apart from the permanent DPCs across the Delta region.
While the DPC staff are very particular in procuring paddy with 17 per cent moisture condition and an unusual delay in the procurement process, the farmers have been keeping the harvested paddy in front of the DPCs.
Against such a backdrop, the IMD predicted rainfall in the Delta region and the cautious farmers had covered the paddy stocks as a precaution.
As predicted a few districts received only a drizzle but Tiruvarur district received a heavy downpour on Thursday.
According to the report, Tiruvarur town received 23 mm rainfall while Nannilam received 23.20 mm, Mannargudi received 18 mm, Needamangalam 18 mm, and Pandawaiyaru head received a maximum of 27.60 mm rainfall.
Despite the farmers taking precautionary measures to safeguard paddy due to rains, the stocks were badly drenched at a DPC in Kamalapuram village and a few other DPCs in Mannargudi.
“The rains drenched paddy stocks across the district. Between 10 and 20 per cent of stocks were damaged in every DPC in the district,” said PS Masilamani, State Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association.
He also said that the harvested paddy has been piled in front of every DPC as the staff refused to procure the paddy beyond 17 per cent moisture condition.
“We need to dry the soaked paddy immediately otherwise, they would sprout which would lead to damage to the paddy and hence heavy loss,” Masilamani stressed.
He also pointed out that the farmers from the Delta region have been demanding the relaxation of moisture conditions.
“Even after the central team visited the Delta and studied the situation, the farmers are awaiting the announcement of relaxation,” Masilamani said.
