3.5 lakh tonnes of paddy to be procured in Tiruvarur

Thiruvarur (TN), Jan 18 (PTI) A total of 3.50 lakh tonnesof paddy would be procured in the district during the Sambacrop season this year, a top official said today.

The procurement would be made through 379 Direct PaddyPurchase Centres (DPCs), District Collector M Chandrasekaransaid inaugurating a DPC in Kunniyur.

He said the moisture content of the paddy for procurementhad been fixed as 20 per cent.

The government had proposed to procure five per cent of thecoloured and damaged varieties of paddy.

The procurement price had been fixed at Rs.1,100 perquintal for fine variety and Rs.1,050 for the general variety.

He said if a farmer offered more than 300 bags of paddy,the civil supplies corporation would visit the farmers'' houseand make the procurement.

Last year, a total of 5.13 lakh tonnes of paddy wasprocured at a cost of Rs.47.12 crores.