Govt lists feats over record rise in procurement, relief for moisture content
Stalin regime's 1-month early commencement, 42.61 lakh metric tonne procured vis-à-vis 22.70 lakh metric tonne under the AIADMK regime, raising moisture content limit to 22% stands testimony, claims the release
CHENNAI: The state government, in a release on Sunday, claimed that the DMK regime had set a remarkable milestone in agricultural efficiency by achieving a record paddy procurement this season under the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Dravidian model government.
Commencing the procurement process a month earlier than the previous AIADMK regime and securing a significant policy shift to increase the permissible moisture content from 17 to 22 per cent were cited as achievements of the government.
The statement added that paddy procurement commenced on September 1, rather than October 1, as during the previous regime. By October 24, 2025, a total of 10.40 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had already been procured through 1,853 Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) across the State, it noted.
Under the Dravidian model of governance, Tamil Nadu has achieved an average annual procurement of 42.61 lakh metric tonnes, compared to just 22.70 lakh metric tonnes during the earlier AIADMK government's term, the press release said. An impressive increase of nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes per year has been recorded, it said, pointing out that over the past four years, the total procurement has reached 1.70 crore tonnes, reflecting a sharp rise in both efficiency and farmer outreach.
According to the release, Chief Minister Stalin personally appealed to the Union government to raise the acceptable moisture level for paddy from 17% to 22%, helping farmers sell their produce without rejection due to the vagaries of the climate. Acting swiftly, the Centre has deputed three expert teams to study the request in Tamil Nadu.
The government has extended procurement hours by 2 hours daily to ensure uninterrupted operations, kept centres open even on Sundays, and accelerated rail-based grain transport from Delta districts.
Over 8.77 lakh metric tonnes have already been dispatched to storage points, with robust logistical planning ensuring daily movement through 13–15 goods trains and 4,000 lorries, it said.