Chennai, Dec 18 (NationPress) As the Samba harvest approaches in early January, farmers in the Cauvery Delta are calling on the Tamil Nadu government to urgently organize a pre-procurement meeting and unveil the procurement policy. They stress that any further delays could lead to challenges akin to those encountered during this year's Kuruvai procurement.

Farmers reflected on the difficulties faced during the Kuruvai season, which included poor planning and substantial losses, with harvested paddy left at Direct Procurement Centres while heavy monsoon rains struck. The insufficient availability of vehicles, gunny bags, manpower, and an organized transport system resulted in delays that caused damage and financial distress.

They assert that lessons learned from this experience should inform this year's Samba procurement to avert similar issues.

Despite the adverse effects of monsoon rains and the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, Samba cultivation in the Delta region is projected to exceed 10.50 lakh acres.

Tiruvarur and Thanjavur contribute significantly with 3.62 lakh acres and 3.40 lakh acres respectively. Early Samba crops are expected to arrive at procurement centres in the first week of January, highlighting the need for prompt government action.

Farmers believe that a pre-procurement meeting led by the State Chief Secretary would allow agricultural and revenue departments, procurement agencies, and transport officials to collaborate efficiently.

This meeting, they argue, would preemptively tackle bottlenecks especially concerning transport logistics, storage solutions, and gunny bag availability to prevent surplus produce accumulation at procurement sites.

They also highlight that other prominent rice-producing states such as Karnataka, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal conduct annual pre-procurement meetings, ensuring better preparedness.

However, Tamil Nadu has not organized such discussions since 2022, which farmers believe contributed to last season’s challenges.

They are advocating for the meeting to take place in Thanjavur, enabling key stakeholders from across the Delta to participate, express their concerns, and set shared expectations.

With only weeks remaining before Samba procurement commences, they insist that the government promptly releases the procurement policy and announces incentives.

Farmers emphasize that proactive planning is essential to shield harvested paddy from climatic threats, guarantee efficient collection at procurement centres, and protect the livelihoods of countless farming families reliant on this season’s yield.