The central government has decided against allowing a higher moisture content in paddy for public procurement in Tamil Nadu. This means farmers must ensure their paddy has no more than 17% moisture, despite recent heavy rains. The state had asked for this limit to be raised to 22%.
However, there is some good news. The government will now accept paddy with up to 7% discoloured, broken, or sprouted grains. This is an increase from the previous limit of 5%. This change might help farmers sell more of their harvest.
This decision will create extra work and cost for farmers. They will need to dry their paddy crops further to meet the 17% moisture requirement. This is especially difficult as wet weather continues in many farming areas, particularly the delta districts.
Farmers who do not have their own drying facilities might be forced to sell their paddy to private buyers at lower prices. This is because they cannot meet the official standards for government purchase centres.
It’s worth remembering that the central government had allowed higher moisture levels, up to 19%-20%, in the past. This happened in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons due to high humidity and rainfall. Farmers hoped for a similar relaxation this year.
In a letter to the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution confirmed that the 17% moisture limit will stay for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26. This season runs until October 31 next year.
The state also requested an increase in the limit for immature, shrunken, and shrivelled grains, from 3% to 5%. This request was also rejected by the centre.
An official from TNCSC stated that farmers will need to dry their paddy themselves until next October to meet the 17% moisture rule. The TNCSC does not have exact figures on how much paddy currently has moisture levels between 18% and 22%. Many farmers are already trying to dry their paddy at the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) to meet the 17% standard.
Following the heavy rains, the Tamil Nadu government had sent a request to the central government on October 19. In response, three central teams visited rain-affected paddy fields across Tamil Nadu from October 25 to 30. They assessed the situation and collected paddy samples. These samples were then sent to the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) in Hyderabad for expert advice on potential moisture relaxations.