Stalin lists key demands of farmers ahead of PM Modi’s visit to TN

Chennai, Nov 18 Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Coimbatore on November 19, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has placed three urgent demands before the Union government to address pressing issues faced by farmers during the ongoing kharif procurement season.

An official release from the State government on Tuesday said that the CM wrote to the Prime Minister, and subsequently shared the details on social media.

In his post, the Chief Minister highlighted that Tamil Nadu has recorded a “bumper harvest” this year and that the Northeast monsoon has further accelerated procurement operations.

In this backdrop, he urged the Prime Minister to take swift decisions in the interest of lakhs of farmers.

“I hope you will consider these requests favourably ahead of your visit to Coimbatore,” Stalin said.

The foremost request is that the Union government allow Tamil Nadu to revise the rice procurement target for the ongoing kharif season.

While the State had sought permission to increase the target from 16 lakh metric tonnes (MT) to 20 lakh MT based on actual production estimates, the Centre has so far maintained the ceiling at 16 lakh MT.

Stalin appealed for immediate approval to expand the target in line with the surge in paddy arrivals following record output.

According to the State’s update, paddy production during the current kharif season stood at 14.11 lakh MT as of November 16, 2025 — a sharp rise from 4.81 lakh MT recorded during the same period last year.

The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has already procured the entire 14.11 lakh MT from 1.86 lakh farmers through 1,932 direct procurement centres, disbursing Rs 3,559 crore.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that despite the visit of central teams, the Union government has not yet issued orders to relax the moisture content norm from 17 per cent to 22 per cent.

Stalin stressed that this relaxation is essential to avoid rejection of large quantities of paddy harvested during monsoon spells.

In his third request, Stalin urged the Centre to approve an increase in the packing size of fortified rice kernels from the current 25 kg to 50 kg.

He also sought enhancement of the sample lot size from 10 MT to 25 MT to streamline quality checks and expedite procurement.

With procurement already touching last year’s total within weeks, the State government has emphasised that timely intervention from the Centre is crucial to prevent distress among farmers.

The Prime Minister is expected to review several agricultural and developmental initiatives during his Coimbatore visit.

--IANS

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