Govt misses date on procurement of paddy, disappoints delta farmers

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) used to procure paddy through Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) during the kharif marketing season that falls between October 1 and September 30 with revised MSP in each season. As kuruvai harvest started well in advance during the current season, as many as 166 DPCs were opened in Thanjavur. Besides, the procurement had started earlier and the farmers had stocked their paddy in front of the DPCs. However, procurement was stopped from September 25 owing to the closing of annual accounts and farmers were asked to wait till October 1 for the commencement of procurement for the annual kharif season.

Subsequently, the farmers, who harvested their kuruvai crops, had stocked their paddy in front of the DPCs that were functioning at various places, including Kollangarai, Marungulam, Kovilur, Ammapettai, Kokkeri and Saliyamangalam. “At least 2,000 bags of paddy are piled up in each DPC in the district,” a farmer alleged. Since the procurement was stopped on September 25, farmers complained of sprouting of paddy owing to the rainfall in various places. Convinced by the officials’ promise to procure the paddy, they are still waiting.

“The kurvai cultivation was successful during this season for the farmers in at least 10 villages in our area. We took up cultivation with the support of pump sets and had a timely harvest for at least 1,200 acres of land in our area. Subsequently, we stocked the paddy in front of the DPCs that carried out procurement since September 25. And the paddy stocked had accumulated then on,” said Sukumar, a farmer from Kollangarai in Thanjavur.