The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has procured nearly 2.2 lakh tonnes of paddy since the imposition of the lockdown in March, according to a senior official in the Food Department.
The produce has been procured by paying around ₹415 crore to about 29,000 farmers.
Over the last seven months, the Corporation has obtained approximately 21.9 lakh tonnes of paddy from over 3.66 lakh farmers, who have been paid about ₹4,128 crore.
In addition, regulated markets, which broadly come under the control of the State Agriculture Department, have been trading, on an average, 2,400 tonnes of paddy, every day.
Farming activity
As for agricultural activity in the last one and odd months, harvesting of agricultural crops has been carried out over about 3.32 lakh hectares, of which pulses account for about 1.13 lakh hectares, paddy- 92,620 hectares and millets- 63,054 hectares.
Around 45,000 hectares of area have been sown with paddy, covering around 26,886 hectares.
To ensure that farmers get an uninterrupted supply of fertilisers, all 4,410 shops, run by primary agricultural cooperative societies, and 80% of 7,860 private shops are being kept open. So far, 81,850 kg of urea have been sold during the lockdown through fertiliser mobile vehicles, pointed out an official in the Agriculture Department.
To maintain a steady supply of rice through the public distribution system (PDS) over the next few months, the TNCSC has got a stock of rice to the tune of about 9 lakh tonnes, equivalent to three months’ requirements. Besides, it has been lifting the State’s allotment of rice from the Food Corporation of India, regularly.
The Corporation also has an adequate stock of tur dal, edible oil and sugar to be distributed to about 2.07 crore ration cardholders in the next three months.
Unorganised workers
Construction workers, migrant labourers and those employed by other constituents of the unorganised sector were provided around 24 lakh kits, each containing 15 kg of rice, 1 kg of tur dal and 1 litre of edible oil during the lockdown, thanks to combined efforts of the Labour Department and the TNCSC, said a Food Department official.
On the status of E-thottam, a home delivery service of vegetables and fruits by the Horticulture Department, the Agriculture Department official said that a maximum of 2,000 orders can only be handled in a day.
Now the services of Zomato, a private online delivery platform, too have been roped in.