Govt. nod for ₹3-crore special package for paddy procurement in Kuttanad

The Kerala government has approved a special package of ₹3 crore for the Agriculture Department to procure paddy from the Kuttanad region, where several ‘Paadasekharams’ have been affected by saline water intrusion, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad announced on Thursday.

Due to the poor quality of the harvested paddy, mill owners refused to accept the produce, prompting the government to intervene. As a solution, Oil Palm India has been tasked with the procurement of the affected paddy. The Agriculture Department will evaluate the quality, and the Director of Agriculture will fix the purchase price accordingly.

The Director has also been instructed to assess the scale of crop loss in the region.
Around 70 ‘Paadasekharams’ in areas including Alappuzha municipality, Punnapra North, Thakazhi, Karuvatta, Ambalappuzha South, Nedumudi, Kainakari, and Pulinkunnu have reported damage due to saline water, which has led to a drop in both the quality and quantity of the paddy harvest.