Direct purchase centres (DPCs) will be opened at 25 more places in the district to expedite procurement and prevent paddy brought in by farmers being affected by rain. The entire paddy arrivals of the kuruvai season will be completed within the next 10 days in the district, Collector M. Govinda Rao said here on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Rao said 288 DPCs had been opened in the district so far. Kuruvai paddy was raised on 58,948 hectares and harvest had been completed. Till now, 2.77 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured through DPCs in the district against the anticipated yield of 3.65 lakh tonnes. The average yield during the season was 6.2 tonnes a hectare, against the normal of 6 tonnes.
Procurement of paddy from farmers was underway, with 5,000 tonnes purchased daily. Steps were being taken to increase it to 10,000 tonnes a day. Procurement of the entire paddy arrivals would be completed within the next 10 days.
Mr. Rao said adequate men and material were available at the DPCs. Arrangements for transport and storage had been made. The district had a capacity of about three lakh tonnes. The procured paddy was being moved to other districts for hulling. Payments to farmers was being made within 24 hours of procurement through their bank accounts. Vigil was also being maintained to check irregularities.
Since it rained almost daily, additional DPCs would be opened at about 25 places, including Vannarapettai, Marungulam and Thennamanadu, where arrivals were heavy. “We will ensure that farmers are not affected and expedite the procurement process,” he said.
Revenue Departemnt officials were also coordinating with Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation to ensure smooth procurement.
Mr. Rao also disclosed that samba paddy had been raised on about 77,000 hectares in the district so far against the targetted 1.27 lakh hectares. Adequate stocks of seeds and fertilizers were available in the district.
