Central team visits Tamil Nadu to inspect rain-hit paddy

In Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts, 2.73 lakh hectares of samba and thalady paddy crops, and 2.25 lakh hectares are yet to be harvested.
Image used for representational purposes only
Image used for representational purposes only
Updated on
2 min read

THANJAVUR/TIRUCHY: A four-member team of officials deputed by the union government’s food and public distribution department to assess the moisture content of paddy affected by the unseasonal rainfall in delta districts began its four-day tour by visiting the farmlands in Thanjavur on Wednesday. The team also collected samples of paddy brought by farmers to Direct Procurement Centres (DPC) for testing their moisture content in a laboratory.

According to sources, over 3.40 lakh hectares of paddy crop across the region is yet to be harvested and the crops face the risk of being rejected at the procurement centres if the moisture norms are not relaxed by the union government, sources said. Farmers want the moisture norm for paddy to be hiked from 17% to 22% to qualify for government procurement and minimum support price.

In Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts, of the 2.73 lakh hectares of samba and thalady paddy crops, 2.25 lakh hectares are yet to be harvested.

Image used for representational purposes only
Paddy in low-lying areas of Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur, Tiruvarur inundated

Tiruchy farmers want paddy moisture norm to be permanently fixed at 21%

Similarly, 1.18 lakhs hectares of paddy out of 1.31 lakh hectares in Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam is yet to be harvested. Livelihood of lakhs of farmers in the region is at stake, sources said.

The team comprising assistant directors (storage and research) Preeti Shukla and V Naveen and technical officers Rahul and Abhisek Pandey first visited the DPC at Kakkarai near Orathanadu and listened to the grievances of farmers before collecting the samples.

R Sukumaran, a farmer, told the team that since the ground is wet and there is misty condition in the region, they could not dry the harvested paddy.

A Annadurai, Managing Director of TNCSC which is procuring the paddy on behalf of Food Corporation of India, who accompanied the team, said the request to relax the moisture norm was necessitated due to the rains in January.

“After analysing the samples in the laboratory, the team would submit a report to the union government based on which the decision on relaxation of moisture norm will be taken” Annadurai said. Thanjavur Collector A Priyanka Pankajam was present. The team also visited the DPCs at Orathanadu Pudur, Pulavankadu and Pappanadu in the district.

The team would be visiting Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore districts in the coming days.

Meanwhile, there is a demand from a section of farmers in Tiruchy to fix the moisture norm at 21% permanently considering the change in climatic conditions. Since the harvest season falls during the rainy and foggy seasons, farmers said the moisture content should be permanently fixed at 21%. They said it was practically impossible to ensure the moisture content of paddy remains below 17% due to the change in climatic conditions.

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