Farmers across Madurai district have expressed growing frustration over the slow opening of Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) for the current kuruvai paddy season. Although the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) sanctioned 44 centres for procurement, cultivators allege that barely half are operational. This delay, they say, has left harvested paddy exposed to the elements as the northeast monsoon intensifies. Many fear that continuous moisture and unpredictable showers could cause large-scale spoilage, cutting into already thin profit margins. The situation has prompted several farmers to stage small-scale protests outside revenue offices, demanding immediate intervention by local authorities.

For farmers in Thanichiyam and surrounding villages, the delay has turned into a logistical nightmare. “I have harvested nearly 200 bags of paddy, but the local DPC remains shut,” said Nallu, a cultivator from Thanichiyam. “We were told there aren’t enough workers to run the centre, so I had to postpone harvesting the rest of my crop. If it rains again, I’ll lose everything.” Similar complaints have emerged from Melur and Kottampatti regions, where farmers have been forced to pile their produce under temporary shelters, often without proper drying or storage facilities. These conditions, they say, risk both quality degradation and rejection during future procurement rounds.

Senior farmers argue that the delay contradicts the state’s promise of timely procurement following early water release for kuruvai cultivation in June. “Our fields were ready for harvest weeks ago,” said A.N.M. Thirupathi Muthuramalingam from Kulamangalam. “But several centres are still not functioning. Some of us are even selling paddy to private traders at lower prices to avoid losses.” He added that while the government’s procurement scheme offers a safety net, inefficiencies on the ground have rendered it ineffective for many small-scale cultivators who lack proper storage infrastructure. Farmer representatives have now urged authorities to improve coordination and open all sanctioned centres without further delay.

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Madurai district farmer leader M.P. Raman has appealed to both the State and Union governments to take immediate corrective measures. “We request the Centre to relax the permissible moisture content in paddy to 24% as recommended by the inspection team,” he said. “This would greatly help farmers who are unable to keep their produce completely dry during the monsoon.” Raman also demanded better logistical support, such as tarpaulin distribution, drying yards, and additional trucks to transport paddy quickly to operational DPCs. Without these measures, he warned, the procurement process would continue to lag, hurting farmer morale and income stability.

Responding to the allegations, TNCSC officials maintained that procurement was proceeding smoothly across most of the district. “Of the 44 centres sanctioned, 41 are now fully functional,” said a senior official. “We faced an initial shortage of workers, but that issue has been resolved. Around 2,110 tonnes of paddy have already been procured, and operations are continuing without interruption.” The District Revenue Officer, who chaired the farmers’ grievance meeting on Tuesday, instructed TNCSC staff to remain courteous to cultivators and strictly avoid collecting any unauthorized service charges. Yet, despite these reassurances, many farmers remain skeptical, insisting that official figures fail to reflect the hardships faced in several pockets of rural Madurai. With heavy rains forecast for the coming week, cultivators say the next few days will be crucial in determining whether the season brings relief—or ruin.

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