KOTTAYAM: The paddy farmers of Upper Kuttanad are in trouble as the rice mills have not been procuring paddy rice from them citing poor quality of the grain. Over 40 tonnes of paddy rice is lying accumulated in various places, including Kumarakom and Vechur panchayats in Vaikom and Pulinkunnu, Thakazhy, Kavalam, Edat-hua and Punnapra in Alappuzha district. The Supplyco which procures the rice from 29 mills in Alappuzha district and 18 in Kottayam has to pay arrears of Rs 18 crore and Rs 12 lakh respectively to the farmers in the two districts, said Mr P.R. Salim Kumar, president of Kerala paddy farmers association.
The mill owners have said that the paddy rice lacks quality and hence have demanded excess quantity for procuring it. Principal agricultural officer S. Jayalalitha told this newspaper that procurement has not been taking place due to the dispute. “The mill owners insist that 1,000 paddy grain should have a weight of 26 grams. Otherwise, they want more grain to compensate for the weight loss,” she said. The paddy rice does not have sufficient weight due to the increasing acidity content in the soil, she added. The quality is also affected by the absence of water in the paddy fields, Mr Salim Kumar added.
