The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Samba paddy harvest picks up in Thanjavur

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Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Samba paddy harvest picks up in Thanjavur

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

THANJAVUR, JAN. 25 . The harvest of samba and thaladi paddy crops has picked up in Thanjavur district, particularly in the Orathanadu, Papanasam, Thiruvaiyaru and Kumbakonam taluks.

The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation has opened 56 more direct purchase centres in the district. Already, 200 DPCs have been procuring paddy from farmers, the Collector, M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, told The Hindu here today.

He said the TNCSC procured 28,732 tonnes of samba paddy so far. The harvest was completed on 10,000 hectares out of a total of 1.31 lakh hectares.

The daily average arrival at the DPCs was 2,000 tonnes. The administration was trying to procure as much as possible. Adequate funds were available and enough number of gunny bags was kept ready at the DPCs.

Mr. Veera Shanmugha Moni said squads were formed in every taluk to monitor the functioning of DPCs.

62,598 tonnes in Tiruvarur

The harvest of samba paddy has been completed on 50 per cent of a total of 1.38 lakh hectares in Tiruvarur district. The TNCSC has procured 62,598 tonnes through 275 DPCs, the Collector, P. Ekambaram, said.

Eleven more DPCs would be opened in a couple of days. The daily average arrival at the DPCs was 5,000 tonnes. The harvest was brisk in the Mannargudi and Needamangalam taluks.

The Government was offering Rs.590 a quintal for grade A variety and Rs.560 for the common variety, with a moisture content of up to 17 per cent. The DPCs would also purchase paddy with moisture content up to 20 per cent with a grade cut in the price.

Relief to farmers

Mr. Ekambaram said the Government sanctioned Rs.9.51 crores for providing relief to 61,300 farmers whose paddy crop was damaged in the heavy rain that lashed the district in October and November last. Crop on 44,457 hectares was affected.

A relief of Rs. 2, 500 a hectare would be provided to small and marginal farmers and Rs.1,000 to big farmers.

The Collector said the relief amount would be disbursed through the Primary Agricultural Co-operative Banks and officials were asked to ensure proper disbursement.

Meagre inflow

The Mettur dam received 118 cusecs this evening. The level stood at 57.76 feet (full level 120 feet), with a discharge of 9, 965 cusecs for the Cauvery delta irrigation. The storage was 23.04 tmcft (full capacity 93.4 tmcft).

While the Cauvery was getting 5,310 cusecs from the Grand Anicut, the Vennar, the Grand Anicut Canal and the Coleroon were getting 501, 1,500 and 207. No rainfall was recorded in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts in the last 24 hours ended 8.30 a.m.

18 more DPCs in Tiruchi

Eighteen more DPCs were opened in Tiruchi district today, the Collector, V. Pandian, said. Already six centres were procuring paddy. Though the arrivals were poor during the kuruvai season, the additional DPCs were opened as the samba harvest had begun

The new centres would be function at Tiruverambur in the Tiruchi taluk, Kuzuhumani and Pettavaithalai in the Srirangam taluk, Alangudi Mahajanam, Lalgudi, Vellanur, Pullampadi, Nagar, Venkatachalapuram, Poovalur, Anbil, Ariyur, Komakudi, Valadi, Kookur, Alampadi and Viragalur in the Lalgudi taluk and at Nochiyam in the Manachanallur taluk.

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