Chennai, Nov 18 (NationPress) In anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Coimbatore on November 19, Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has articulated three critical demands aimed at the Union government to tackle urgent challenges faced by farmers during the current kharif procurement season.

An official announcement from the State government revealed that the CM communicated these requests directly to the Prime Minister and later shared the information via social media.

In his message, the Chief Minister pointed out that Tamil Nadu has experienced a record harvest this year, with the Northeast monsoon further enhancing procurement efforts.

In light of this, he urged the Prime Minister to make prompt decisions that would benefit millions of farmers.

“I trust that you will give these requests serious consideration before your visit to Coimbatore,” Stalin remarked.

The first demand is for the Union government to permit Tamil Nadu to adjust its rice procurement target for the ongoing kharif season.

While the State has requested to increase the target from 16 lakh metric tonnes (MT) to 20 lakh MT based on actual production forecasts, the Centre has yet to raise the limit, maintaining it at 16 lakh MT.

Stalin called for immediate approval to raise the target in response to the influx of paddy following the exceptional yield.

As per the State's report, paddy production for the current kharif season reached 14.11 lakh MT as of November 16, 2025, a significant increase from 4.81 lakh MT recorded during the same timeframe last year.

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

Moreover, the Chief Minister highlighted that despite the presence of central teams, the Union government has not yet approved the relaxation of the moisture content norm from 17 percent to 22 percent.

Stalin emphasized that this adjustment is crucial to prevent the rejection of substantial quantities of paddy harvested during monsoon periods.

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

He also called for the enhancement of the sample lot size from 10 MT to 25 MT to facilitate quality assessments and speed up procurement processes.

With procurement figures already matching last year's total within weeks, the State government has underscored that timely action from the Centre is vital to alleviate farmer distress.

The Prime Minister is anticipated to review various agricultural and developmental initiatives during his visit to Coimbatore.