Ahead Of PM Modi's Visit, MK Stalin Places 3 Demands For Tamil Nadu Farmers

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's farmers' programme in Coimbatore tomorrow, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged the Centre to urgently support the state's farmers facing heavy distress due to a bumper paddy harvest. 

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Stalin said paddy arrivals have surged sharply, with 1.86 lakh metric tonnes reaching procurement centres by November 16, putting enormous pressure on storage and procurement operations.

Stalin placed three key demands before the Centre: increasing the paddy procurement target for Tamil Nadu beyond the current ceiling for KMS 2025-26, relaxing the moisture content norm from 17% to 22% due to recent rains, and permitting packing of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) in 50 kg bags instead of 25 kg to speed up operations in mills. He noted Tamil Nadu has 1,760 rice mills, including 123 approved for FRK blending, but existing packing and storage restrictions are slowing procurement.

The Chief Minister also reminded the Centre of earlier joint reviews with FCI officials, where the state had repeatedly highlighted the impact of excess production, high arrivals and storage limitations. He said the measures he sought were essential to prevent losses for farmers this season.

Modi will arrive in Coimbatore tomorrow to inaugurate the South India Natural Farming Summit, where he will also release the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN, Rs 18,000 crore for nine crore farmers nationwide. The three-day summit will draw more than 50,000 farmers, experts and stakeholders from six southern states and will showcase natural farming models, organic inputs, and innovations in eco-friendly agriculture.

The Prime Minister will also hold a roadshow in Coimbatore, a city where the BJP has a comparatively stronger footing in the Dravidian heartland. In the 2021 Assembly elections, BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan won the Coimbatore South seat-defeating MNM chief Kamal Haasan with a thin margin victory. The party continues to leverage as it builds its influence ahead of the 2026 polls.