Stalin Urges PM Modi to Relax Moisture Norms for Paddy Procurement

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately direct the Department of Food and Public Distribution to relax the moisture content limit for paddy procurement from 17% to 22%. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Stalin said Tamil Nadu has recorded an all-time high paddy harvest this Kharif season, especially in the Cauvery delta, resulting in unprecedented procurement levels. As of November 16, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation has procured 14.11 lakh MT of paddy from 1.86 lakh farmers through 1,932 direct procurement centres, marking a sharp rise from 4.81 lakh MT last year. Stalin noted that although Central teams had inspected the fields following the State’s request, the Union department has not yet issued orders permitting procurement with higher moisture content. With the Northeast monsoon active in delta districts, he said urgent approval is critical to protect farmers. He also requested revising the current 16 lakh MT rice allocation to match actual production, and sought approval to increase the packing size of fortified rice kernels from 25 kg to 50 kg. @@@