Kuruvai paddy procurement nears completion in TN‘s Delta; farmers seek compensation for rain damage
The Kuruvai harvest is almost over in the Cauvery Delta, and officials say the paddy procurement process is wrapping up too. District Collectors have been on the ground every day, checking that the final bags of rice reach storage safely.
In the four main districts—Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapattinam—more than 90 % of the Kuruvai crop has been picked. Farmers grew nearly 1.99 million acres in Thanjavur, 1.91 million in Tiruvarur, 97,727 acres in Mayiladuthurai, and 74,667 acres in Nagapattinam this season. To speed up the process, the government opened extra Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs). Each centre now buys 2,000‑3,000 bags of paddy a day, and collectors personally inspected the sites to keep the supply line smooth and stop hoarding right outside the centres. Over 90 % of the harvested paddy is already in storage.
The Delta faced a shortage of packing materials, so the state ordered two crore gunny bags and jute threads from West Bengal. Half a million bags arrived by rail at Thanjavur and Kumbakonam from Kolkata on Sunday, easing the bottleneck in packing and transport. Yet many farmers remain frustrated. Sporadic northeast monsoon showers caused harvested paddy to sprout in piles outside DPCs, and some crops were submerged in rainwater, leading to heavy losses. Farmers in the Delta are demanding compensation of Rs 40 000 per acre for the damage.
K.M. Selvaraghavan, a farmer‑association leader, said that out of 6.13 lakh acres of Kuruvai, about 30 % of seed‑ready rice was lost to water and another 10‑20 % sprouted in the rain. He also warned that 60,000 acres of standing Samba and Thalady crops suffered rain damage. “We have pledged jewellery and taken loans to grow our land,” he told reporters. “The government still uses an old 33 % loss assessment. It must change—Rs 40 000 per acre is what we need.” Selvaraghavan added that despite meetings with the chief minister and district collectors, the focus has stayed on the volume of procurement, not on practical issues like moisture management, rain‑damage prevention, or transport delays.
As the monsoon harvest cycle repeats, farmers hope that the authorities will learn from this season’s challenges and protect their harvests better in the future.
Source: ianslive
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