Tamil Nadu CM seeks Modi's intervention to revise procurement target of rice to 32 lakh metric tonne

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue the necessary instruction on revising the procurement target of rice for the state from 16 lakh metric tonne to 32 lakh metric tonne for the Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26.

In a letter to Modi, Stalin observed that there has been a "historic increase" in paddy production in the state during the current year on account of the timely opening of the Mettur dam, improved crop management practices and favourable climate conditions.

Anticipating the high yield, Stalin recalled his previous letter sent to Modi in November 2025 requesting the Centre to revise the procurement target of paddy from 16 lakh metric tonne to the actual procurement level.

The CM pointed out in the letter that the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and the National Co-operative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd have already procured 36.63 lakh metric tonne of paddy, as against 24.17 lakh metric tonne during the corresponding period of 2024-25.

"Out of the 36.63 lakh metric tonne of paddy procured, approximately 24.91 lakh metric tonne of rice is expected to be hulled. It is evident that the procurement has already exceeded the rice target of 16 lakh metric tonne fixed by the Government of India," he said.

Noting that the paddy procurement is continuing at an average rate of about 50,000 metric tonne per day, Stalin said the trend is expected to continue and the total procurement is likely to reach 47.50 lakh metric tonne of paddy during this year (2025-26).

"As I had already requested in my earlier letter, I request you to issue necessary instructions for revising the procurement target for Tamil Nadu from 16 lakh metric tonne to 32 lakh metric tonne of rice for 2025-26 (Kharif crop) on a priority basis, in order to facilitate continued procurement and ensure timely payments to farmers," Stalin said in the letter.