The State government has sanctioned a ₹3 crore special package for the Agriculture Department to procure paddy from ‘Paadasekharams’ in the Kuttanad region that were hit by intrusion of saline water, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad said here on Thursday.
Mill owners had declined to lift the harvested paddy citing poor quality, forcing the government to come up with a solution. Following this, the government had roped in the Oil Palm India for procuring the paddy. The Agriculture Department will assess the quality of the paddy and the Director of Agriculture will determine the price.
The Agriculture Director has also been tasked with assessing the extent of the crop damage.
Nearly 70 ‘Paadasekharams’ in the Alappuzha municipality, Punnapra North, Thakazhi, Karuvatta, Ambalappuzha south, Nedumudi, Kainakari and Pulinkunnu had reported saline water intrusion, affecting the quality of the paddy and the yield, Mr. Prasad said.
As the harvested paddy fell short of the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) in accordance with the Minimum Support Price/Public Distribution System (MSP/PDS), the paddy procurement had run into trouble.
It was also decided that the quantum of paddy that meets the FAQ requirement will be procured by the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) as per the existing procurement mechanism.
Published – May 15, 2025 08:56 pm IST
