Tamil Nadu Rice Buy‑Back Delays Raise Farmer Concerns

Tiruchirappalli, 13 July – Paddy cultivators in the Kaveri delta have lodged a formal grievance with the Tamil Nadu government, urging a swift resolution to the bottleneck at Direct Purchase Centres and a rapid removal of the stock that has been left out in the open.

According to the farmers, delayed transportation has caused a massive pile‑up of bags at open procurement sites, stalling the purchase of the newly harvested summer crop. The season’s paddy, cultivated over an estimated 1.60 lakh acres, has almost entirely been harvested.

Procurement began in the last week of June and is expected to run through August. The state has also set up Point‑of‑Procurement centres capable of acquiring 1,000 bags daily, yet recent figures show a steep decline to about 500‑600 bags per centre per day.

The agricultural community attributes the slowdown to inefficiencies at the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation’s warehouses and the subsequent lag in dispatching the grain to rice mills. The stagnant stock has made centre staff hesitant to accept additional shipments, fearing further overcrowding.

Farmers are now compelled to keep their cut grain in their own storage at personal cost, warning that long‑term exposure may diminish grain weight, alter its colour, and degrade overall quality, which could further delay the purchase process.

The appeal highlights the urgent need for better logistical coordination to protect farmer earnings and maintain rice standards.