'Empathise with paddy farmers'; Kerala Kaumudi editorial finds place in cabinet meeting, CM intervenes in discussion

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The editorial published by Kerala Kaumudi on Wednesday titled 'We should show empathy to paddy farmers', highlighting the plight of paddy farmers, was discussed in the cabinet meeting. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed that the problems of paddy farmers highlighted in the editorial be urgently resolved.

As part of this, Finance Minister KN Balagopal and Food Minister GR Anil will hold discussions with representatives of mill owners who are not procuring paddy. With the paddy procurement getting back to normal, other issues faced by farmers mentioned in the Kerala Kaumudi editorial can also be resolved.

The demands put forward by the mill owners' association include increasing the handling cost, increasing the out-turn of the stored paddy to 64.5 per cent from 68 per cent and withdrawing the GST imposed on mill owners in Palakkad district. The association warned that the next procurement will not be carried out unless these are accepted.

It was the central government that set the percentage of rice to be returned to Supplyco at 68. In 2022, the state had set it at 64.5 per cent, but the High Court had again ordered it to be raised to 68 as part of a public interest litigation seeking to follow the same pattern across the country. The government is now considering measures, including providing financial assistance to mill owners to compensate for the losses incurred by setting it at 68%.