MAYILADUTHURAI: Farmers in Mayiladuthurai district have urged the district administration to open all the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) that were operated during the Kuruvai season last year, as harvesting has begun and they say only a limited number of centres are currently functioning. The demand was raised at the grievance meeting on Wednesday at the collectorate.
While Kuruvai cultivation has declined in neighbouring delta districts due to the lack of Cauvery irrigation water as the Mettur dam remains closed, the area under Kuruvai cultivation in Mayiladuthurai has increased from 39,700 hectares last year to around 41,000 hectares this year. Farmers said the limited number of DPCs could lead to paddy accumulating without adequate procurement facilities and urged officials to open all the centres that operated last year.
“All the DPCs that functioned during the last season should be operated before September 1, so that farmers can benefit from the increased incentive coming into effect from September 1,” said farmer Arupathi Kalyanam.
Farmers also alleged collection of Rs 40 as a bribe at DPCs is still in practice and said adequate wages should be paid to workers and staff to prevent such practices. “Government can raise the wages paid to labourers at the DPCs. This could help eradicate the Rs 40 bribe issue but only a factor of it where multiple factors contribute to the problem,” said R Anbalagan of the Delta Irrigation Farmers Association. They also sought measures to prevent private seed outlets from increasing the price of paddy seeds for the upcoming Samba season.
Other demands included complete waiver of cooperative loans, and compensation of Rs 15,000/acre for farmers affected by the Kuruvai crop and Rs 10,000 for each agricultural labourer’s family.
A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation told TNIE that approval had been given for 123 DPCs, of which procurement operations were currently under way at 31 centres. So far, 3,603 tonnes of paddy had been procured from 756 farmers, the official said. The official added that nearly 140 DPCs, as operated last year in Kuruvai season, are expected to become functional this season. Paddy harvesting had not yet begun in Sirkazhi and Tharangambadi taluks, and all the DPCs would be made operational before harvesting begins there, the official said.