THANJAVUR: The state government increasing the incentive for paddy by Rs 7 per quintal has added to the disappointment of farmers in the district who already expressed displeasure over the Union government’s “meagre” increase in minimum support price (MSP) for the crop. They urge the state government to increase the incentive.
The state government on Monday announced that kuruvai paddy will be procured from farmers with new price from September 1 instead of October 1 -- when the kharif marketing season (KMS) usually commerces. While welcoming the advancement of the date, they expressed unhappiness over the “meagre” increase in the incentive.
The government announced that the fine variety will be procured by providing an incentive of Rs 107/quintal which is Rs 7 more than last year’s incentive of Rs 100/quintal. Similarly the common variety of paddy will be procured by providing Rs 82/quintal as against last year’s incentive of Rs 75/quintal.
"As input costs, including diesel and fertilisers, have increased, the state government should increase the incentive by at least Rs 50," said R Sukumaran, a farmer from Kakkarai.
S Vimalnathan, the secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said the incentive is unacceptable as the MSP announced by the Union government was already given the thumbs down by farmers.
"The DMK in its manifesto had announced the procurement price for paddy will be fixed at Rs 2,500/quintal. However with the meagre increase in incentive the new price for common variety paddy is only Rs 2,265 and for fine varieties it is only Rs 2,310/quintal," he added.
Further, he said that paddy is procured at over Rs 2,800/quintal in Kerala while in Chhattisgarh it is Rs 2,640/quintal. The Union and state governments must reconsider the hike in MSP and incentive respectively, he said.