PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said on Wednesday that the Tamil Nadu government must restart direct procurement of paddy grown during the Kuruvai season from farmers in the Cauvery delta region.
In a statement, he said that while the crop was almost ready for harvest in Thanjavur and other districts, procurement was stopped without any warning. “The farmers are unable to sell the grain. They hope to complete their harvest before the monsoon, but their expectations have not been met.”
He said the crop on around 2 lakh acres had gone waste for want of water. “The harvest has been severely affected. The farmers who have escaped the hardship are ready for the harvest, but if the government is not willing to procure from them, the grain may go waste in the rain,” he said.
