Paddy ready for procurement soaks in rain near Trichy

Trichy: Summer rain across Trichy and the delta districts has slowed down the final phase of paddy procurement in the region. In some direct procurement centers in Trichy district, paddy grains brought by farmers were reported to have drenched in the downpours.On Friday, farmers dumped their paddy near procurement centers in Arangur and Ayanapatti areas in Thottiyam block, and Vadugapatti in Musiri block of Trichy district, complaining that their grains had soaked in the heavy rain.Officials led by K Kumaravel, regional manager of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), Trichy, visited the centers and listened to farmers. Officials said the procurement centers were situated on low-lying areas, which caused grains to get soaked in rainwater.Kumaravel instructed staff to expedite the process of procurement. "We have directed the staff to deploy additional equipment and procure the grains from farmers as quickly as possible."In the delta region, around five lakh hectares were cultivated with samba and thaladi paddy crops. More than 90% of crops have been harvested, with the remaining portion expected to be harvested in the next two weeks. In Trichy district, out of 53,000 hectares of samba and thaladi crops, harvesting has been completed on 47,000 hectares. "Cultivation and harvesting activities are ongoing in blocks such as Uppiliapuram, Lalgudi, Thiruverumbur, Musiri, and Manikandam, and are expected to conclude by this month," said B Vasantha, joint director of the district agriculture department.TNCSC has so far procured around 1,13,000 tonnes of paddy in Trichy district and expects to procure an additional 20,000 tonnes by the end of the season.