NCCF purchase of paddy begins in non-delta districts of Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI:  Following the Union government’s recommendation, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has nominated the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), an agency under the Ministry of Consumers Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, to procure paddy in 23 non-delta districts for the current Kharif season.

TNCSC officials said an intermediary agency nominated by NCCF has started procuring paddy. “In places where the opening of direct procurement centres (DPC) was delayed, instructions had been issued to Collectors and other officials to resolve the issues and open the centres at the earliest,” said an official.

To improve the quality of rice, the NCCF-nominated agency has been told to shift the paddy to rice mills for hulling directly from the direct procurement centres if the paddy’s moisture content is 16-17%. Earlier, paddy would be sent from DPCs to TNCSC godowns and then to mills for hulling.

Paddy with a moisture content of 13% can be stored for 12 months, while paddy with 17% moisture content turns yellow if stored beyond 55-60 days. The moisture level shouldn’t exceed 17% for procurement.

After hulling, mills should return 68% of the supplied paddy as rice, as per TNCSC and Food Corporation of India norms. The minimum support price of Rs 2,160 per quintal is fixed for the common variety and Rs 2,115 per quintal for Grade A variety of paddy. In addition, the State government provides an incentive of Rs 100 and Rs 75 per quintal, respectively for common variety and Grade A variety.

“The incentive is mainly to encourage farmers to dry their produce before shifting it to DPCs. This reduces the moisture levels of paddy. But some farmers are reluctant to dry their crop,” said an official from Vellore district. 

But a section of farmers said procurement by NCCF has not improved the process significantly, but paddy with a high moisture content is being shifted to mills. LC Mani, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, Ranipet district, said, “Load men and others still demand a bribe of `100-300 at procurement centres. The waiting time at DPCs is still 12-24 hours. But high-moisture (16-17%) paddy is shifted to rice mills immediately.”