Farmers’ earnings slide as govt curtailed paddy procurement, Anbumani flays DMK regime

CHENNAI:Citing statistics released by the central government, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss stated that the income of farmers in Tamil Nadu has decreased due to lower paddy procurement, alleging that the DMK government is betraying the farmers.

“The DMK government, instead of safeguarding the interests of the farmers, is sucking their blood by fixing lower procurement prices. Farmers in Punjab earn a profit of Rs 42,686 per hectare, whereas in Tamil Nadu, they earn only Rs 7,109 per hectare. As per the estimates, the average monthly income of the farmers in Tamil Nadu is just Rs 2,129,’’ Anbumani said in a statement.

Saying that the reason for lower income is not lower yield, Anbumani stated that Tamil Nadu harvests 33.66 quintal per hectare, which is second only to Punjab.

“In Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, cultivation cost is between Rs 71,291 to Rs 74,657 per hectare. In Tamil Nadu, the expense is Rs 88,380. On the other hand, procurement prices in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are Rs 3,169 and Rs 2,869, respectively. In Tamil Nadu, the price is only Rs. 2500 per quintal,” he added.

Anbumani warned the DMK government that people will teach an unforgettable lesson in the upcoming election for the betrayal they are doing to the farming community as a whole.