A Central team of officials is expected to visit the Cauvery delta in the next few days to study the issue of increasing the limit of moisture content in paddy, Food Minister R. Kamaraj said.
This followed a recommendation made by the State government to enhance the limit of moisture content to 22% from the current level of 17%, the Minister said.
He claimed that despite traders not coming forward to procure paddy in the wake of rain in the delta, the authorities were, even now, procuring paddy with higher level of moisture content and sending it for hulling.
The rates for the common variety and the grade ‘A’ variety were ₹1,918 per quintal and ₹1,958 per quintal respectively, Mr. Kamaraj added.
Earlier in the day, the general secretary of the AMMK, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, in a series of tweets, accused the State government of being negligent in “letting paddy bags get damaged due to rain” in the delta.
He called for steps to expedite the procurement of paddy.
