Chennai, 27 October (H.S.) : In an official release on Sunday, the government highlighted two major policy shifts—early commencement of the procurement process and a significant relaxation of the permissible moisture content—as key victories for the state's farmers. These feats, the government stated, stand as a testament to the success of the Dravidian model of governance in the agriculture sector.

The government proudly pointed to a sharp rise in procurement efficiency, noting that the average annual procurement has surged to 42.61 lakh metric tonnes (MT). This figure marks an impressive increase compared to the 22.70 lakh MT recorded annually during the previous administration, reflecting a jump of nearly 20 lakh MT per year.

Furthermore, the overall procurement over the past four years has reached a massive 1.70 crore tonnes. The state also announced that by October 24, 2025, a total of 10.40 lakh MT of paddy had already been successfully secured through 1,853 Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) operating across the state.

Crucially, the government secured vital relief for farmers by shifting the procurement start date one month earlier, commencing operations on September 1 instead of the usual October 1. A major policy win involved the acceptable moisture level for paddy, which was raised from 17 to 22 per cent, preventing the rejection of crops affected by unpredictable weather.

According to the release, Chief Minister Stalin personally appealed to the Union government for this crucial relaxation. Following the appeal, the Centre acted swiftly by deputing three expert teams to the state to study the request.

To maintain uninterrupted operations, the government has extended procurement hours by two hours daily, kept DPCs open even on Sundays, and accelerated logistical support.

Over 8.77 lakh MT has been successfully dispatched to storage points, with a robust transport plan utilizing 13–15 goods trains and 4,000 lorries daily.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary