**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 21, concerning issues faced by paddy farmers in Palakkad. The response details an interdepartmental team's visit to Kerala to assess the situation, the problems identified, and the measures being taken to support farmers. The question was to be answered on December 2nd, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Assessment of Paddy Farming Issues:**
* An interdepartmental team visited Alappuzha, Thrissur, and Palakkad districts in Kerala from September 23rd to 26th, 2025, to assess paddy cultivation issues.
* The team conducted field visits and held consultations with various stakeholders including farmers, representatives of organizations, government officials, subject-area experts and academia.
* The team identified problems such as high production costs, delayed payments, need for improved storage, and infrastructure deficiencies.
* **Procurement and Support Measures:**
* Kerala operates a Decentralized Procurement (DCP) system for paddy at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
* Early in the procurement cycle, rice mills were initially reluctant to procure, causing disruptions.
* Procurement is done at MSP declared by the central government, with additional state incentives, and has reached 1256 farmers in Palakkad district.
* **Current Government Initiatives:**
* There is currently no specific financial package proposal for Palakkad district.
* The Government of India supports farmers through the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) to enhance food security and increase crop production.
* This includes demonstrations, seed distribution, integrated nutrient and pest management, and farmer training.
* The state also implements various schemes to uplift paddy farmers, including the Rice Development Programme.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers in Palakkad District**
* **Impact:** Farmers benefit from the assessment of their issues, current procurement processes at MSP with state incentives, and support through the NFSNM and other state schemes.
* **Action Required:** Farmers should participate in NFSNM programs and leverage available resources to improve productivity and address challenges.
**Kerala State Government**
* **Impact:** The state government is responsible for managing the DCP system and implementing NFSNM programs, receiving support from the central government.
* **Action Required:** The state government needs to continue working with rice mills to ensure smooth procurement, provide additional incentives, and effectively implement the NFSNM.
**Union Government (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for addressing concerns raised in Lok Sabha and for overall support for agriculture and farmers' welfare in Kerala, particularly through NFSNM.
* **Action Required:** The government needs to monitor the implementation of support measures, assess the need for additional specific interventions in Palakkad, and report progress to the Parliament.
Key Entities Referenced
Palakkad: District in Kerala where paddy farmers are facing issues; the focus of the parliamentary question and the government's response.
National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM): A program through which the Government of India is providing assistance to farmers to enhance food security and nutrition, including increasing rice production in Kerala.
Kerala: State where the Palakkad district is located, and where the issues of paddy farmers are being addressed.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The central ministry responsible for responding to the parliamentary question and addressing the issues of paddy farmers.
Minimum Support Price (MSP): The price at which the government purchases crops from farmers to protect them from market fluctuations; relevant to the discussion on procurement and payment delays.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 21
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 02ND DECEMBER, 2025
ISSUES FACED BY PADDY FARMERS IN PALAKKAD
*21. SHRI V K SREEKANDAN:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that an expert delegation from the Union Government visited key
paddy producing regions in Palakkad district in Kerala recently;
(b) if so, whether it is also true that the team interacted with paddy farmers across multiple
locations and held detailed discussions to understand the ground realities, if so, the
details thereof;
(c) whether farmers and representatives of various agricultural organizations have urged
the team to recommend a special financial package for Palakkad which holds the
distinction of being the highest paddy producing district in the State of Kerala;
(d) whether the farmers are facing crisis triggered by delayed procurement and payment
even after the harvest seasons had begun and the steep rise in production costs and
urged for corresponding needs for an increase in Minimum Support Price; and
(e) if so, whether the Government is considering a special package and proposes to take
steps to address the issues of paddy farmers in Palakkad, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO.21 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02ND DECEMBER, 2025 REGARDING
“ISSUES FACED BY PADDY FARMERS IN PALAKKAD”.
(a) to (c): An interdepartmental team comprising of two senior officers from DA&FW
and four scientists from Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Institute of Rice
Research, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) visited paddy
cultivation areas of Alappuzha, Thrissur and Palakkad Districts of Kerala from 23.09.2025
to 26.09.2025.
The team carried out field visits in lower Kuttanad area (Alappuzha), Thrissur and
Palakkad districts and conducted series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders,
including representatives of social organizations, members of the Padasekhara Samitis,
Panchayat representatives, farmers’ associations, farm labourers, women, government
officials from line departments, subject-area experts, academia, civil society groups, non-
governmental organizations. Meetings were held with stakeholders in all these districts.
The team identified the problems of paddy farming in these districts which included
high cost of paddy production, delayed payment of paddy procurement, payment in the
form of Paddy Receipt Slips (PRS) loans, need for proper storage and ware-housing
leading to prevent pest and disease attacks, infrastructure related problems for bailing out
of water and its carriage from paddy fields etc.
(d): Kerala is a Decentralised Procurement (DCP) state for procurement of paddy at
Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state government of Kerala has informed that during
the initial stages of the procurement cycle this crop season, several rice mills were reluctant
to undertake procurement, resulting in interruptions in paddy lifting and efforts were made
to address and resolve the challenges involved. To support the farmers, the procurement
of paddy in Kerala is done at MSP declared by the Central Government and additional
incentive bonus given by the State. The department of food and public distribution have
further informed that so far, procurement has been done from 1256 farmers in Palakkad
district.
(e): At present, there is no such specific proposal for Palakkad district. The Government
of India is implementing various programmes in the state of Kerala for the welfare and
benefit of farmers. To enhance food security and nutrition, assistance is being provided to
the farmers through the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), for
increasing the production and productivity of various crops including Rice. The scheme is
being implemented through the state and interventions based on the approved annual
action plan, includes demonstrations on latest crop production & protection technologies,
distribution of certified seeds, integrated nutrient and pest management measures, capacity
building of farmers through cropping system-based trainings, etc. The state is also
implementing various schemes aimed at the upliftment of paddy farmers in Palakkad district
including Rice Development Programme apart from other infrastructure support.
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