Samba harvest begins in Madurai

MADURAI: Samba paddy cultivation was taken up in over 40,000 hectares of land in the district this year, and the harvesting process has already begun in some areas. Among the proposed 154 Direct Purchase Centres (DPCs), one has been opened thus far for procuring paddy. The civil supplies department has also increased vigilance to curb irregularities in the procurement process.

Timely rainfall and the release of water from Vaigai ensured bumper yields for the farmers this season. A senior official from the Tamil Nadu civil supplies corporation department said the remaining DPCs would be opened as the harvest activities progress. "We have made all arrangements to ensure that the farmers face no hurdles in the procurement process this time. Frequent inspections will be held. The moisture content was slightly high in the primary batch of produce. Farmers should ascertain that their paddy has the right moisture content before providing it for procurement," he said.

Also speaking, Raman, a farmer and functionary of Mullai Periyar Farmers Association, said, "As the moisture content in the soil is on the higher side, we have opted for the chain-type harvester machine for harvesting paddy. The rent is higher for the chain-type harvester than for the tyre-type machine. Also, this equipment damages the fodder on the field, which we could have otherwise provided to our cattle. The state government should also take steps to procure paddy at a price recommended in the MS Swaminathan report."