The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) has so far procured 6.91 lakh tonnes of paddy as the 2019-20 crop season is nearing completion in the State.
According to Supplyco officials, the corporation has procured 2.02 lakh tonnes of paddy during the additional (second) crop season (May-September). In the ongoing ‘puncha’ (first) season (November-March, which got extended this season), it has purchased 4.88 lakh tonnes so far from farmers across the State. In the previous season, it had procured 6.94 lakh tonnes during the two crops.
Output to go up
A.V. Suresh Kumar, Manager (paddy procurement), Supplyco, told The Hindu on Thursday that the paddy output would go up compared to the 2018-19 season. “Except in some fields in Alappuzha and Thrissur districts, the harvest of the puncha crop and procurement are almost done. When the procurement is finished, we expect the paddy production to increase slightly in the State,” he said.
Although the overall paddy production is expected to rise, there is a steep fall in yield in the puncha season compared to the corresponding period last year. In the 2018-19 season, the great deluge had washed out the additional crop in its entirety. The bulk of the 6.94 lakh tonnes procured last season was cultivated in the following puncha season as the floodwaters deposited huge amounts of silt in the paddy fields and improved soil fertility.
Officials said that when it came to the puncha season alone, they expect the paddy yield to fall by around one lakh tonnes compared to last season.
Mr. Kumar said Supplyco has so far procured paddy worth ₹1,862 crore from 2.07 lakh farmers in the State during the season. “We have already generated a pay order for ₹1,320 crore. Of this, banks have disbursed ₹1,054 crore to the farmers. The rest of the amount will be provided in a time-bound manner,” he said.
Palakkad leads
Palakkad continues to lead the way in paddy production in the State. Supplyco has so far procured 2.91 lakh tonnes from the district this season. It is followed by Alappuzha (1.74 lakh tonnes) and Thrissur (98,782 tonnes).
After the imposition of the COVID-19-induced lockdown, the government has included paddy harvesting, procurement and other related activities on the list of essential services to carry out the process in a relatively hassle-free manner.
