File photo
| Photo Credit: K.K. Mustafah
The United Democratic Front (UDF) government has decided to scrap the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s proposal to procure paddy from farmers in Palakkad district through cooperative societies.The LDF government had, during its final months in office, announced a pilot project to route paddy procurement through cooperative societies in the district. The proposal, however, never took off as clear operational guidelines were not issued to cooperative institutions.The move had also drawn opposition from farmers, who were already grappling with delays in receiving payment for procured paddy. Many argued that cooperative societies lacked the capacity to handle large-scale procurement and ensure timely payments, despite government assurances that farmers would be paid within two days of collection.Paddy procurement in Kerala was initially carried out through cooperative societies when the system was introduced in 2003. The arrangement was discontinued after cooperative bodies failed to sustain the process.Supplyco took over procurement in 2005 and has managed it since then. Farmer organisations had questioned the LDF government’s attempt to reintroduce a model that had earlier been abandoned.Farmers welcome decisionThe UDF government’s decision has been welcomed by farmers in Palakkad, who hope it will pave the way for reforms in the procurement system. Delayed payments have remained one of the major concerns of paddy growers in the district for several years, affecting both cultivation and farm income. Published - June 06, 2026 08:55 pm IST
