CM Stalin writes to PM Modi on increasing paddy procurement
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has pressed the Union government to swiftly intervene in what he called an “urgent and consequential situation” for the state’s paddy farmers, following a bumper harvest that has overwhelmed procurement systems across the delta.
In a detailed letter sent to PM Modi on Monday, and disclosed on Tuesday, Stalin sought three immediate measures: raising the permissible moisture content for paddy procurement from 17% to 22%, revising the Union government’s kharif rice procurement target for Tamil Nadu from 16 lakh metric tonnes to match the actual output, and easing norms for sampling fortified rice kernels (FRK) to speed up milling.
The appeal came as Stalin publicly framed the demands as essential ahead of PM Modi’s visit. “I hope you will consider them favourably,” he wrote in a social media post, noting that the state has recorded “bumper harvests” this year while the Northeast monsoon threatens to damage freshly procured paddy unless norms are relaxed.
According to an official release, paddy procurement in the 2025 kharif season reached 14.11 lakh metric tonnes as of November 16, a dramatic rise from 4.81 lakh MT in 2024-25. The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation opened 1,932 direct procurement centres and purchased the crop from 1.86 lakh farmers, disbursing Rs 3,559 crore.
Officials expect marketable surplus for the full season to touch 98.25 lakh MT of paddy — equivalent to 66.81 lakh MT of rice — by August 2026, placing pressure on storage and milling systems.
Despite the surge, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has fixed Tamil Nadu’s procurement ceiling at 16 lakh MT for the 2025-26 kharif cycle. Stalin urged permission to revise this to the actual volume procured, citing unprecedented production levels.
Central teams that visited Tamil Nadu between October 25 and 28 collected moisture samples but have not recommended relaxations. With monsoon rains intensifying from November 16, Stalin warned that rigid norms risk forcing farmers to sell at a loss or leave damaged paddy unsold. “This needs to be done urgently,” he wrote.