Paddy farmers in TN in distress as centre yet to relax moisture norms

WITH less than a week left for the kuruvai harvest season to end, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is yet to announce any relaxation to permit procurement of paddy with up to 22% moisture content as requested by the state government, landing thousands of farmers in hot water.

- B ANBUSELVAN @Chennai

According to officials from the Agriculture and Food Departments, kuruvai paddy was cultivated across 6.1 lakh acres, of which more than 5.5 lakh acres have already been harvested. “Around 44,000 acres of paddy remain to be harvested as of Thursday, and this will be completed within four to five days,” an official told TNIE.