The area of coverage under ‘kuruvai’ crop cultivation is expected to surpass the targetted area of 42,000 hectares in Thanjavur district, according to Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver.
According to an official release, the Collector made this remark at a tripartite meeting held at the Collectorate on Thursday with regard to the procurement of paddy during this ‘kharif kuruvai’ season. Mr. Oliver said that so far ‘kuruvai’ cultivation had been taken up in 28,000 hectares against the target of 42,000 hectares. However, this year it was anticipated that the total ‘kuruvai’ cultivation area in Thanjavur district will touch 60,000 hectares, he said.
Stating that till date 7.80 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured through 226 direct purchase centres, the Collector added that efforts would be made to protect the paddy to be procured in near future.
Participating in the meeting, the Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association secretary, Sundara Vimalanathan, insisted that the minimum number of bags to be procured through the proposed mobile DPCs should be pegged at 100.
Urging the Corporation to ensure that DPCs functioned without any political intervention, he suggested that farmers should be directed to register their names in advance through an official website to get their produce measured on the specified date at the concerned DPC as per the name registration list.
Stating that non-availability of adequate materials for procurement at the DPCs hamper the procurement process, the Thanjavur district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to CPI(M), N.V.Kannan, urged the Corporation to sort out this problem immediately and also to arrange for quick movement of procured paddy from the DPCs to the storage points as the summer crop harvesting exercise had peaked.
The State Deputy President, Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Thozhilalargal Sangam, affiliated to CPI(M), V. Jeevakumar, had suggested that the procured paddy could be stored safely at marriages halls or on temple premises near the DPCs till the bags were moved to the designated storage points.
