Increase paddy procurement price: PMK to govt

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday urged the state government to increase the procurement price of paddy to Rs 3,000 per quintal.

"The production cost for paddy this year was Rs 1986 per quintal and a 50 percent of its profit comes to Rs 2,979 but the procurement price set by the central government and the incentive announced by the state government is not sufficient. Chief Minister M K Stalin who demanded Rs 3,000 per quintal till 2020 now has the authority to provide Rs 3,000 per quintal as demanded by the farmers, " Anbumani, said in a statement.

Recently, the state government announced an incentive of Rs 75 per quintal for ordinary paddy and Rs 100 per quintal for premium paddy along with the procurement price, announced by the central government, of Rs 2,040 per quintal for ordinary paddy and Rs 2,060 for premium paddy.

Anbumani said that the central government had increased the procurement price of paddy by Rs 100 this year but it is not sufficient for farmers.

As the water from Mettur dam was opened on May 24 the harvest date for Kuruvai cultivation is set to commence on September 1 and it is the right time for the state government to announce the hike in procurement price of paddy.