Govt targets 16.5 lakh ton of paddy for procurement

Thanjavur, Oct 11 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to procure 16.5 lakh tonnes of paddy in the current year.

Announcing this at a meeing at the office of the district collector of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Trichy here today, Food Minister E A Velu said 13.5 lakh tonnes would be procured from the Cauvery Delta Districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

The price for paddy (Grade A) was fixed at Rs 725 per quintal, which included an incentive of 13.50 per quintal. The common variety paddy was priced at Rs 695 per quintal, inclusive of incentives.

It would be supplied through the Direct Purchase Centres (DPC) of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), he said.

The TNCSC would open 1450 DPCs in the state, most of which would be in the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

The TNCSC officials were instructed to procure paddy without creating any inconvenience to farmers, he added.

UNI