Food Minister confident of record paddy procurement

Thiruchirapalli

After inspecting the facilities and functioning of the DPC at Ullikkottai near Mannargudi in Tiruvarur, the food minister said, in order to ensure livelihood to the farmers during the lockdown, the state government had relaxed certain norms. Due to this, the farming activities were going on in full swing at present.

Pointing out that the procurement of 26.24 lakh MT via 521 DPCs established in delta and Non-delta regions, was comparatively huge, Kamaraj said, “The season is not over yet and the procurement volume is likely to set a record.”

Conveying that the state government was keen to promote water management across the state to ensure adequate availability for all activities, the minister said, “Due to the proper water management schemes, state has not witnessed scarcity for both human consumption and crop requirements.”

The farmers have got uninterrupted three phase power supply, he said, adding, “I interacted with farmers on the way and they expressed confidence of a good harvest this year due to the support extended by the state government.”

Among other things, the Food Minister said, the death rate due to COVID 19 infection in TN was just 1.37 pc, while the recovery rate stood at 62 per cent. He urged the people to ensure social distancing in all places of public gathering and adhere to all hygiene norms to protect themselves from the virus.