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The paddy procurement crisis in the State remains unresolved as rice mill owners dispute the government’s claim of reaching an agreement with them.
K.K. Raman, president of the Kerala Rice Millers Association, on Wednesday rejected the government’s claims that mill owners’ concerns have been addressed and paddy procurement has begun in Palakkad and Alappuzha. He said the government claims were baseless.
Mill owners had raised concerns about paddy quality, paddy-rice ratio, handling charges, and pending payments. “The government has not given us any assurance on these demands,” said Mr. Raman.
According to Mr. Raman, currently only a single mill outside the association is involved in paddy procurement.
When the government began paddy procurement in 2005, as many as 112 rice mills were involved. However, that number has now come down to 56. Twelve mills were closed down in the last five years. Twenty mills had backed out of procurement, he said.
“Eleven mills incurred a loss of ₹200 crore as they could not give the stipulated amount of rice to Supplyco because of lack of quality of the paddy,” he said.
Mill owners are facing a major crisis similar to that of farmers, said Mr. Raman, demanding government intervention to address their woes.
Socialist Party (India) State general secretary Manoj T. Sarang demanded immediate government intervention to procure the harvested paddy in the State. “The farmers are becoming the scapegoat in the tug-of-war between the government and mill owners,” he said.
Police detaining members of the Palakkad district committee of the National Janata Dal on Wednesday for blocking National Highway 544 at Kuzhalmandam, between Wadakkanchery and Walayar, during a protest. The demonstration was organised to condemn the government’s alleged attempt to deceive farmers by delaying the commencement of paddy procurement. | Photo Credit: K. K. Mustafah
He lamented that due to delayed government procurement, farmers were forced to sell their paddy to private mills at low rates.
Muthalamthodu Mani, president, Desiya Karshaka Samajam (DKS), urged the government to increase the farmer incentive from ₹6.31 to ₹10 per kg to prevent the paddy procurement system from a total collapse.
Karshaka Congress district president B. Iqbal has accused the government of colluding with the mill owners to help them make gains from the procurement crisis. He said the government had delayed the procurement as part of an understanding with the mill owners, who demanded GST issues connected to the Central government.
Mr. Iqbal alleged that the government, aware of its inability to address mill owners’ concerns, failed to devise alternative procurement plans. “By delaying the process, the government indirectly pushed farmers to sell paddy to private mills at low prices,” he said, warning of launching an agitation if the government did not find a solution immediately.
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