Thanjavur: Central government has given permission to extend procurement of paddy in Tamil Nadu till September 30 through Direct Purchase Centres of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation as requested by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Centre which permitted earlier only up to August 31 to procure paddy from farmers for the kharif season 2017-18 and issued orders to close procurement on that date has now given time till September 30, said a TN government
press release issued on Saturday.
Centre's extension of time came in the wake of CM appealing to prime minister and union minister for food, public distribution and consumer, Ram Vilas Paswan seeking permission to continue procurement. The appeal was followed by sending Food minister R. Kamaraj to convey the demands of TN farmers to Mr.Paswan, said the government press release. .
It may be recalled that TNCSC issued orders to close procurement by August 31 following earlier order from central government. Farmers expressed concern over the closure and appealed to CM to continue procurement.
R.Kamaraj also clarified that procurement will continue. Following demand from farmers and in view of implementation of Kuruvai package to the tune of 115.67 crores in the state which helped in Kuruvai cultivation and as kuruvai paddy has come for harvest, Chief Minister ordered to continue procurement.
In Thanjavur district alone 19 DPCs which were closed following central government's first order started functioning following orders from Tamil Nadu government.
With centre permitting the procurement till September 30, farmers who have harvested Kuruvai paddy in canal irrigated areas can sell their paddy in the DPCs.
As per a press release issued here by TNCSC, as on August 22, a total of 3,06,000 tonnes of paddy had been procured in Thanjavur district. Arrivals are at the rate of 1000 tonnes per day.
