CHENNAI: Nearly two months after Chief Minister M K Stalin sought a relaxation of the permissible moisture content in kuruvai paddy procurement from 17% to 22%, the union government informed Parliament recently that it had rejected the proposal, citing substantial operational risks. These include potential losses during storage and reduced milling recovery. The centre also claimed that relaxing the moisture content norms would have no direct financial implication on farmers and therefore, was not under consideration.
Responding to a query from Mayiladuthurai Congress MP R Sudha, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya said although paddy can be dried prior to milling, procuring paddy with excessive moisture poses serious operational challenges, including stock losses during storage and compromised milling efficiency. She explained that high-moisture paddy is prone to rapid deterioration, fungal growth, discoloration and pest infestation.
State governments, she added, have repeatedly been advised to develop adequate drying facilities at procurement centres. The union minister reiterated that any relaxation in moisture content has no direct financial impact on farmers, which is why such a proposal is no longer being considered.
In November, the chief minister had requested the relaxation citing adverse weather conditions and unseasonal rain. Following this, a central team visited the state to assess the situation.
Bambhaniya also informed Parliament that paddy procurement under the Public Distribution System in Tamil Nadu increased by 13 lakh metric tonnes during 2024-25 kharif marketing season. According to official data, procurement rose from 34.96 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24 to 47.98 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25. In 2022-23, the state had procured 33.84 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
For the 2025-26 kharif marketing season, a total of 14.73 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured as of December 15, the union minister said. At the national level, paddy procurement increased from 772.61 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24 to 831.15 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25.