Paddy procurement may touch 5 lakh tonnes by December, says Food Minister

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Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P. Venkataramanan checking rice sample at a warehouse at Kattiyavayal in Pudukottai district on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Tamil Nadu government expects to procure up to five lakh tonnes of paddy by December, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P. Venkataramanan said on Wednesday.

The Minister was inaugurating paddy warehouses in Pudukottai district.

Mr. Venkataramanan said that sufficient stocks of paddy were available and there would be no shortage. About 3.60 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured since September, and the figure might touch five lakh tonnes by December. During September-December period last year, 7.6 lakh tonnes were procured, he said.

Although samba paddy production was about 20% less this season, sufficient stocks were available to meet requirements, he said. Procurement of samba and kuruvai paddy up to August stood at about 63.5 lakh tonnes, which he attributed to abundant rainfall.

Mr. Venkataramanan said that to make rice available to consumers at affordable prices, the government had taken steps to procure “sannaarisi” (fine rice) from other States and sell it at ₹30 a kg through cooperative societies. Essential grocery packages containing items such as chilli powder, garlic, and coriander, priced at ₹256, were being supplied to the public at a subsidised price of ₹200.

The government was closely monitoring the prices of rice and other essential food items in the open market. Steps were being taken to prevent hoarding and curb price increases, he said.

Earlier, Mr. Venkataramanan, along with Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development J. Mohamed Farvas, inaugurated two paddy storage godowns with a combined capacity of 2,500 tonnes, constructed at a total cost of ₹4.35 crore.

The godowns are located at Thulaiyanur in Thirumayam taluk and Konnaiyur in Ponnamaravathi taluk. The facility at Thulaiyanur, built at a cost of ₹2.65 crore, had a storage capacity of 1,500 tonnes while the godown at Konnaiyur, constructed at a cost of ₹1.70 crore, can store 1,000 tonnes. Around five lakh families in the district benefit from the paddy storage facilities.

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