7 months ago
2
The communicative truthful far: Sensing the increasing discomfort among farmers of the Cauvery delta successful Tamil Nadu astir reports of harm to paddy astatine galore places, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, connected October 19, requested the Union authorities to unbend the permissible moisture contented for paddy procurement from 17% to 22%. Subsequently, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has formed 3 teams to measure the situation.
What led to the contiguous problem?
The problem, per se, is not caller to the Cauvery delta, regarded arsenic the atom vessel of southbound India. Some of the causes see expanding dependence of farmers connected the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) for selling their produce, reluctance of backstage traders to bargain paddy harvested during the Kuruvai play successful presumption of higher moisture content, inadequate fig of Direct Purchase Centres (DPCs), and a deficiency of retention infrastructure. This year’s bumper harvest has worsened the situation. Against the mean sum of astir 4 lakh acres, much than six lakh acres were brought nether paddy cultivation. With Cauvery h2o being disposable successful abundance, sections of farmers, who had burnt their fingers by going for fabric that got damaged during rains, began raising the paddy late. Normally, the harvest gets harvested by the extremity of September. But this year, the cognition is inactive on. Rains person aggravated the problem, making higher moisture contented inevitable.
What has the Union authorities done?
Under the decentralised procurement strategy of the Union Ministry, State governments procure paddy and wheat connected behalf of the Centre, successful summation to storing and distributing the atom successful enactment with the Centre’s policies. The Union authorities meets the outgo of procurement, isolated from monitoring the prime of foodgrain procured. Farmers are paid the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the Centre. Besides, immoderate States including Tamil Nadu wage inducement to farmers. Since the procurement is done arsenic per the norms of the Centre, State governments person to comply with those specifications. Generally, the allowed moisture contented is up to 17%, which is measured done moisture metres, disposable astatine DPCs, railheads, godowns, and modern atom mills. The Centre tin unbend the norms, if immoderate State asks for it, citing factors beyond their control. In the past, the Centre has waived stipulations for Andhra Pradesh and Punjab.
Going by the Central Foodgrains portal, astir 10.4 lakh tonnes were procured from each implicit Tamil Nadu up to October 24 done 1,855 DPCs. Over 1.2 lakh farmers were paid ₹2,519 crore towards MSP. The estimated quantity of paddy to beryllium procured for the play is astir 24 lakh tonnes.
What is the governmental anxiety?
The Cauvery delta accounts for two-thirds of paddy procured by the TNCSC annually. On an mean successful the past 5 years, astatine slightest 40 lakh tonnes were obtained from farmers each implicit the State. Last year, it was astir 48 lakh tonnes. Politically, the region, which elects 41 of the 234 MLAs, has been a accepted bastion of the DMK. Therefore, the ruling enactment is anxious to guarantee hassle-free paddy procurement.
What is the mode forward?
Besides strengthening the retention infrastructure, the State authorities should guarantee due coordination among each stakeholders, including farmers and the Railways, which play a cardinal relation successful moving paddy from DPCs to retention points oregon hulling units. In a consultative manner, the authorities should place sites for impermanent DPCs, isolated from making materials disposable for preserving the procured paddy. The authorities should besides contemplate opening up the strategy of procurement to enactment successful farmers producers’ organisations, conscionable arsenic it permitted co-operative societies to run DPCs successful non-delta areas.
