TN procured over 6,000 MT of ragi in last 3 years: Food Minister

The Tamil Nadu government has procured 6,453 metric tonnes of ragi from farmers and has disbursed Rs 26.48 crore to the farming community since 2022-23, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R Sakkarapani said on Sunday.

The State government under its 'decentralised procurement scheme' decided to procure ragi from the farmers in 2022-23 and in the first phase Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts were covered, he said in an official release.

Later, it was decided to expand the procurement to Salem, Erode districts and in 2024-25, a 4,050 metric tonnes of ragi were procured from the farmers of Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Erode and Salem districts.

''From 2022-23, a total of 6,453 metric tonnes of ragi were procured from 3,578 farmers and Rs 26.48 crore disbursed to them'' he said.

For the current financial year, he said, it has been decided to procure the ragi at a price of Rs 48,860 per metric tonne from the farmers. He stated that the current procurement price of Rs 48,860 per metric tonne is higher than the Rs 42,900 rate set for the previous year's procurement.

Approvals have been issued to the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation for direct procurement of 6,000 metric tonnes of ragi from farmers of Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Erode and Salem between November 1 and January 31, 2026.

He appealed to the farming community of the four districts to utilise the opportunity and approach the procurement centres of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation established in their respective districts.