Farmers of Kancheepuram district have urged the various agencies involved in procuring paddy to construct more permanent storage points. They also want the district administration to ensure the temporary covers are tied down properly, especially with the area experiencing summer rain.
N. Saragan, district president, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, said that open storage centres where plastic sheets are being used to close the paddy bags procured via direct procurement centres (DPC) are in danger of being damaged by animals and rodents. “The sheets get torn in strong winds. We need more permanent buildings to store paddy,” he said.
V. K. Perumal a farmer of Uthiramerur, said that smaller storage facilities should be created at the village-level. “Our area has around 5,000 acres of land under cultivation but we don’t have any place to safeguard our bags of paddy or other grains or vegetables grown locally.”
District Collector Kalaiselvi Mohan said that this year, a total of 13,396 tonnes of paddy was procured in the Sornavari crop and so far in Samba season 64,598 tonnes. “The Sornavari crop is 3,096 tonnes more than last year. We expect more during the Samba season too. Steps are being taken to safeguard the procured paddy by the Civil Supplies department,” she said.
