A total of 1,052 Direct Purchase Centres (DPCs) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) have procured 1,31,000 tonnes of paddy during the kharif season in the State, said R.Kamaraj, Food Minister, in Thanjavur on Saturday. The Minister held discussions with officials about samba procurement in the districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam during 2014. R.Vaithilingam, Housing and Urban Development Minister, and K.A.Jayapal, Fisheries Minister, took part.
Mr.Kamaraj said that of the total number of DPCs, 269 are functioning in Thanjavur district, 408 in Tiruvarur district, and 264 in Nagapattinam district. The Minister said that Rs.1, 415 is paid for each quintal of fine variety of paddy and Rs.1,360 for common variety of paddy. This includes Rs.70 per quintal given as incentive by the State government for fine variety and Rs.50 per quintal for common variety. In response to the demands of delta farmers, government has relaxed the moisture content norms for paddy procurement to 20 per cent as against 17 per cent permitted earlier. With respect to discoloured and broken paddy, a five per cent relaxation is allowed now against the earlier four per cent relaxation. TNCSC mobile procurement vehicles will go to the farmers’ to purchase paddy from those who have more than 300 bags of paddy through Spot Purchase System, the Minister said.
