Procure in 50kg bags instead of conventional 40 kg bags: Delta farmers
The farmers have also demanded that the procurement for the ongoing KMS season should be made in 50 kg bags instead of the conventional 40 kg bags, which would be helpful to a large extent.
TIRUCHY: Delta farmers, who appealed to convene a tripartite meeting to discuss procurement policy, said this platform can also help them to air their grievances.
The farmers have also demanded that the procurement for the ongoing KMS season should be made in 50 kg bags instead of the conventional 40 kg bags, which would be helpful to a large extent.
According to the farmers, the tripartite meeting used to be held before the commencement of annual procurement, but for the past two years, the meeting had not been convened. The farmers are sitting with fingers crossed, hoping their long-pending demands, including the procurement of 50 kg bags against the conventional method of ‘one chippom’ (40 kg bag), are fulfilled.
The farmers said that the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Marketing and Agri Business department has been procuring paddy in 75 kg bags, while fertilizer and other multi-grains are procured in 50 kg bags, but the TNCSC alone has been procuring in 40 kg bags.
“We need to part a bribe of Rs 60 per bag of 40 kg paddy in addition to the deduction of two kg paddy and the farmers are at the receiving end and so the government should reconsider the system and order to procure 50 kg bag which would ease the farmers to a certain extent,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association.
Normally, the tripartite meet used to discuss the procurement policy and the officials and the elected members would allow the farmers to air their suggestions to be followed during the procurement.
“But for the past two years, the government has been hesitant to organise such meetings. We have been demanding to procure 50 kg bags so that the deduction of paddy would be less,” he said.
While the commodities like sesame is procured 100 kg per bag, cotton 100 kg, blackgram 100 kg, green gram 100 kg, maize 100 kg, ragi 100 kg, butter beans 100 kg, pepper 100 kg, Samai 100 kg per bag, paddy is procured 40 kg per bag, and this paves the way for irregularities, claim the farmers.
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