A Central committee led by P.K. Singh, Deputy Director, Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI), on Monday inspected direct paddy procurement centres (DPCs) in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts to study moisture levels in freshly harvested paddy following recent northeast monsoon rain.
The visit was prompted by the Tamil Nadu government’s request to the Union government to relax the procurement moisture ceiling from 17% to 22% to prevent distress to farmers whose harvested stocks were soaked in unseasonal rains.
In Mayiladuthurai district, the team inspected DPCs at Kandamangalam, Kizhayi and Palaipalayam, collecting samples for laboratory analysis and interacting with farmers.
They were accompanied by TNCSC Managing Director A. Annadurai, Collector H.S. Srikanth, MP R. Sudha, MLAs S. Rajaakumar and M. Panneerselvam, and senior officials of the Civil Supplies Corporation and Agriculture Department.
The district has nearly completed kuruvai harvesting, with 39,549 ha out of 39,640 ha reaped, and has procured 1.21 lakh tonnes of paddy so far. About 1.10 lakh tonnes have already been transported to mills and warehouses. More than ₹304 crore has been credited directly to 24,900 farmers’ accounts, officials said.
