Erode: Farmers in Gobichettipalayam Taluk have urged the state government to move rice in the procurement centers directly to a safer place to protect the same from the rain.
There are 10 direct procurement centers in Gobichettipalayam Taluk.
One of them is located in Nanjagoundanpalayam Village, where farmers bring rice for sales.
The farmers said rice, which was stored in sacks, was soaked in recent rain.
“The procurement center immediately functions in the place of rice mills and has no shelter to protect rice from the rain,” said S Rajagopal, one of the farmers.
Speaking with Toi, he said the room was very limited in the factory premise, forcing them to store rice on the adjacent coconut farm.
According to farmers, the direct procurement center at Nanjagoundanpalalayam functions for more than five years.
“We have no other choice, but to keep rice on coconut farm,” said K Aravinth, another farmer.
The farmers said government officials had not taken a step to move the center of direct procurement or fail to a safer place even after the rice was soaked in recent rain.
“No one will buy rice if soaked in rain water.
We looked at very large financial losses due to official apathy,” Aravinth said.