Madurai: In Tamil Nadu, there has been a rise in the price of fine rice, but there is no shortage, said officials of the Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners Association.
Regarding this, the association’s president Dinesh Singh, secretary Rajendran, and treasurer Sivalingaraja told reporters in Madurai: The fine rice that the people of Tamil Nadu greatly prefer and use depends largely on neighboring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. Due to the impact of El Niño, kuruvai cultivation in the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu has declined.
Instead of the usual cultivation over about 4.57 lakh acres, only about 3.38 lakh acres could be cultivated. Similarly, since the area under paddy cultivation in neighboring states also decreased, arrivals have fallen by 30 percent.
Therefore, this year, due to a shortage of paddy for demand, the price of fine rice has risen to as much as Rs. 30 per kg. This shortage is likely to return to normal in the month of Thai, which is the harvest season for the upcoming samba crop. Therefore, although rice prices have risen, there is no shortage of any kind. The central and state government warehouses also have the required stock of rice.
To encourage farmers to cultivate fine rice varieties more extensively, the government should publicize that they will fetch a higher price. In addition, high-yield fine rice varieties suited to Tamil Nadu’s climate should be developed through agricultural research stations and provided to farmers.
Facilities for farmers, including rice-drying machines and rice storage warehouses, should be increased. If this is done, there will be no need to depend on neighboring states for fine rice. They said this.