Bumper Harvest, Bitter Outcome: Tamil Nadu’s Paddy Procurement Crisis

This year, Tamil Nadu saw an unprecedented increase in paddy cultivation during the short ‘kuruvai’ season, particularly in the fertile Cauvery delta. While a bumper harvest usually brings cheer, this time it has plunged the government’s foodgrain procurement system into a logistical nightmare.

The overburdened system left farmers distraught right as the Northeast monsoon began. The initial heavy rains drenched both the harvested paddy and the crop still in the fields, pushing moisture content far beyond the limits set by the Union government for procurement.

With no demand in the open market, farmers were forced to rely solely on the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), which handles paddy procurement for the central government. The entire procurement and storage chain buckled under immense pressure. Direct Purchase Centers (DPCs) across the Cauvery delta were swamped with massive arrivals in a short span, largely due to the rapid mechanization of harvesting.

Many DPCs, originally designed for around 3,000 bags, found themselves overflowing with 10,000 bags or more. Further compounding the problem were delays in moving the procured paddy from these centers to storage facilities or hulling units, alongside limited transportation options and inadequate foodgrain storage capacity.

Images of vast stockpiles and even germinated paddy bags at DPCs, coupled with urgent pleas from farmers, ignited widespread outrage. With an election year approaching, the issue quickly became a political hot potato. AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami promptly visited the delta to inspect the situation. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and other State Ministers also rushed to oversee the procurement process. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin personally directed officials to accelerate operations and maintained daily oversight of paddy procurement, storage, and transportation.

Following Tamil Nadu’s plea to relax the permissible moisture content for paddy procurement from 17% to 22%, the Union government dispatched senior officials to evaluate the situation. Divided into teams, they spread across the State and are expected to submit their findings shortly.

As of October 31, data from the Central Foodgrains portal shows that nearly 11.77 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured from 28 districts in Tamil Nadu through 1,894 DPCs during the kharif season. Over 1.39 lakh farmers have received approximately ₹2,840 crore in minimum support price payments.

Endless Waits at DPCs

Amidst the political clamor, farmers in the region endured excruciating waits at the DPCs. Many were forced to dry their paddy and wait by the roadsides for days.

“For a grueling 15 days, my harvested paddy lay on the road in front of the DPC, completely ruined by the rain,” lamented R. Arivazhagan, a farmer from Olathevarayanpuram near Thiruvaiyaru. He had cultivated paddy on six acres but found no private buyers. Traders, especially from Kerala, would typically seek out bold-grain varieties. “This time, no one showed up. We had no choice but to depend entirely on the DPC,” he added.

Reports indicated that private traders were hesitant to purchase kuruvai paddy due to its high moisture content and their unwillingness to match government procurement rates of ₹2,545 per quintal for Grade A and ₹2,500 per quintal for the common variety. There were also allegations of some traders attempting to sell paddy from other regions at the DPCs.

Farmers argued that the crisis was entirely preventable and could have been avoided with better planning from officials, who were aware of the increased acreage well in advance.

The Cauvery delta achieved a record ‘kuruvai’ season coverage this year, exceeding six lakh acres (compared to the usual 4.4 lakh acres). This was largely due to the timely and abundant release of water from the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur. Many farmers, who typically cultivate other crops, switched to paddy, drawn by the promise of quick returns and government price guarantees.

“This year, over six lakh acres in the delta were under kuruvai paddy cultivation, with an estimated production of around 13 lakh tonnes,” stated P.R. Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations. “Barely six lakh tonnes have been procured so far. The rest is languishing in fields or on roadsides. This is a monumental failure of planning,” he alleged.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R. Sakkarapani attributed the delays to bureaucratic obstacles in securing the Union government’s approval for fortified rice. Speaking to reporters in Thanjavur, he mentioned that the Centre had yet to approve the fortified rice blend submitted by companies according to new specifications. “This has delayed the hulling of procured paddy, consequently slowing the movement of stocks from warehouses to mills,” he explained.

“Authorities should have reinforced infrastructure once the Agriculture Department reported an increase in coverage. Instead, there was zero planning, and officials were negligent. They kept insisting they were prepared, but ultimately, farmers bore the brunt. We are forced to suffer because of this flawed system,” criticized Cauvery Dhanapalan, president of the Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu.

Given rampant corruption and malpractices in the procurement system, many small and marginal farmers were forced to sell their produce to middlemen. These middlemen collected paddy directly from fields and sold it at DPCs using the farmers’ documents, even if it meant farmers received ₹200 less than the government price. “They simply cannot afford the costs of transport, labor, and bribes,” he claimed.

“The simultaneous arrival of the monsoon, increased cultivation area, and resulting high yield compounded problems this year. A few simple measures by the Tamil Nadu government could have prevented the hardships faced by farmers,” observed K.V. Elangeeran, president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Federation.

The authorities were visibly unprepared for the situation, noted V. Jeevakumar, a progressive farmer from Budalur. “Even basic necessities like adequate gunny bags, jute cord, and tarpaulins were not readily available. Unlike in previous years, there was no effort to introduce mobile DPCs, which would have greatly assisted farmers. There was also no proper protection for the paddy bags at storage points,” he highlighted.

Delta farmers have long advocated for the Centre to empower the State government to raise the moisture content limit to 24%, adapting to local weather conditions during harvest. “The 17% norm is simply impractical for farmers due to our climatic conditions. DPCs must be equipped with dryers,” urged Sivakumar, a farmer from Kundiyamallur in Cuddalore district.

Unlike the samba season, farmers cannot afford to wait for the paddy stem to dry before harvesting, as monsoon rains are an imminent threat, explained Mr. Dhanapalan.

The Disappearance of Traditional Varieties

Progressive farmers like Santhanam of Maharajapuram and Srinivasan of Mannargudi believe that hybrid paddy varieties are partly responsible for the current issues, pointing out that traditional flood-resistant paddy varieties have all but vanished from the old Cauvery delta region.

G. Sathiyanarayanan, Associate Professor at the Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI), Aduthurai, emphasized the importance of promoting varieties best suited to the Cauvery delta’s soil and climate. “Farmers here often prefer high-yielding varieties that are not adapted to local conditions. These varieties mature late, pushing harvests into the monsoon season and significantly increasing the risk of damage,” he said.

“High-yielding, short-term varieties were introduced to bolster food security, but their harvest now dangerously coincides with the Northeast monsoon, exposing farmers to severe moisture risk,” explained R. Shibi Nandan, an independent researcher from Puducherry specializing in the Cauvery delta’s agrarian systems.

The Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms, established by the Central Grain Analysis Laboratory in Ghaziabad, are applied uniformly across India. These norms are calibrated for the Hindi heartland’s kharif crop, not for the unique rain-fed conditions of the delta. “Moisture content disputes are nothing new. Even in 1965, this issue was debated in the State Assembly. Yet, procurement norms still follow a one-size-fits-all model, completely disregarding the region’s distinct climatic and varietal realities,” he added.

TNCSC’s Deep-Seated Issues

However, most farmers on the ground primarily blame the TNCSC for their predicament. K. Ilavari, general secretary of the INTUC-affiliated TNCSC Employees’ Union, attributed the procurement bottlenecks to deeper, structural problems within the system. Infrastructure, he asserted, remains a significant limitation. “TNCSC godowns and CAP yards are overflowing, and many open storage spaces have simply disappeared,” he noted.

Field staff are compelled to rigorously enforce the moisture cap, as any deviation can lead to salary deductions or disciplinary action. Transportation is another major hurdle. “In many districts, just two or three politically connected contractors dominate lorry operations through proxy tenders. Small lorry owners are excluded, rates are suppressed, and delays ripple throughout the entire supply chain,” he claimed.

Conversely, V. Arumugam, Joint Secretary of the State Federation of Lorry Owners’ Associations, dismissed allegations of transport delays as “misleading and exaggerated.” He stated that lorry availability far exceeds current utilization. “The real problem isn’t transport; it’s a severe shortage of field officers and loadmen,” he clarified.

Challenges in Non-Delta Regions

Timely rains also boosted ‘kuruvai’ paddy coverage in other parts of the State. Over 6.23 lakh acres were cultivated during the kar, sornavari, and summer planting seasons in non-delta districts this year, further contributing to the paddy glut.

In Tiruvallur, ‘sornavari’ season coverage increased to 26,436 hectares from last year’s 25,302 hectares. “This year, we even saw farmers who had never previously sold their paddy to DPCs bringing their produce to the centers. With good rains, farmers sowed extensively. The increase in moisture content, up to 22%, was particularly observed in the final batches of paddy brought in around Deepavali, when the rains intensified,” explained Tiruvallur District Collector M. Prathap. Finding adequate space for paddy storage was a significant challenge, as it was scarce at both mills and drying yards, according to sources.

Chengalpattu also experienced an increase in paddy acreage this year, from 13,000 hectares to 14,200 hectares. R. Muralimohan, secretary of the Chengalpattu District Farmers Association, noted that continuous rainfall prevented farmers from drying their paddy. “Paddy with over 17% moisture content has been sitting at the DPCs for extended periods,” he stated.

Farmers in Madurai district likewise voiced complaints about procurement delays. M.P. Raman, president of the Vaigai-Tirumangalam Main Canal Water Users Farmer Association, said paddy bags were left exposed and spoiling due to slow procurement and a lack of proper storage facilities.

Farmers in Tirunelveli district felt that an earlier and more timely release of water from the dams for the ‘kar’ season (June-September) could have prevented the paddy from being drenched by the Northeast monsoon. “Our fields at Thirukkurungudi, Ervadi, and nearby areas receive irrigation water from Kodumudiyar Dam near Valliyoor in Tirunelveli district. Even though the dam held water at about 45 feet against its maximum capacity of 52 feet in May, water was only released in mid-June. The paddy crop, now ready for harvest, is getting soaked by the monsoon rain. Had the water been released earlier, we would have harvested by now, eliminating the need to seek moisture content relaxation,” stated P. Perumbadaiyar, vice-president of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam.

In districts not covered by the procurement system, such as Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, paddy growers are at the mercy of traders from Andhra Pradesh, who dictate non-negotiable prices for their produce.

“The government must learn from this experience to prevent such crises in the future,” urged Mr. Jeevakumar. Clearly, there’s a strong call for modernizing DPCs, improving operational efficiency, eradicating irregularities, expanding storage capacity, and establishing an effective transportation system.

(With inputs from V. Venkatasubramanian in Thanjavur, Deepa H.Ramakrishnan in Chennai, P. Sudhakar in Tirunelveli, R. Krishnamoorthy in Tiruppur, P.V. Srividya in Dharmapuri, S. Prasad in Cuddalore, S.P. Saravanan in Erode, and B.Tilak Chandar in Madurai).