State government accelerates paddy procurement in Alappuzha

The state government has stepped in to speed up paddy procurement in Alappuzha due to delays. A high-level meeting directed rapid response teams to address procurement issues and established a control room to handle farmer concerns. Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil and Agriculture Minister P. Prasad led the meeting, instructing Supplyco officers to procure harvested paddy promptly after quality checks. Farmers had reported mill agents demanding discounts due to quality issues. Around 600 polders have been cultivated for paddy, with an expected procurement of over 128,000 tonnes this season. Procurement is set to continue until the end of May.