**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 876 in the Lok Sabha on February 4th, 2026, regarding the request from the State Government of Tamil Nadu to relax the moisture norms for paddy. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has considered the request, but ultimately the relaxation was rejected. However, there has been a revision to the Fortified Rice Kernels sampling and packaging sizes.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Rejection of Moisture Norm Relaxation:**
* The request from the State Government of Tamil Nadu to relax the moisture norm for paddy from 17% to 22% has not been considered.
* The reasons include the fact that paddy can be dried before milling and high moisture content leads to operational risks (loss of stock, compromised milling), deterioration, fungal growth, discolouration, and infestation.
* State Governments have been repeatedly advised to develop driage facilities at the procurement stages.
* The relaxation in moisture content has no direct financial implication on farmers, therefore, such relaxation is no longer considered.
* Estimates for paddy procurement are finalized by the Government of India with State Governments before the marketing season.
* **Procurement Estimates:**
* Procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 (Kharif crop) in Tamil Nadu is fixed at 16.00 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) in terms of rice, based on estimated production, marketable surplus, and crop patterns.
* **Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) Norms:**
* The department has revised the Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) sample size from 10 MT to 21 MT and packaging size from 25 Kg to 50 Kg.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Government of Tamil Nadu**
*Impact*
Their request to relax moisture norms was rejected.
*Action Required*
Need to ensure proper drying facilities are available and also need to acknowledge the revised Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) sample size from 10 MT to 21 MT and packaging size from 25 Kg to 50 Kg.
**Paddy Farmers in Tamil Nadu**
*Impact*
Moisture norms for paddy remain unchanged.
*Action Required*
Ensure paddy meets existing moisture standards to avoid procurement issues.
**Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution**
*Impact*
Responsible for maintaining existing moisture norms for paddy procurement.
*Action Required*
Enforce the existing moisture norms and revised Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) sampling and packaging sizes.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution: Central ministry responsible for addressing concerns regarding moisture norms in paddy procurement.
Tamil Nadu: State government that requested the Union Government to relax the moisture norm for paddy procurement.
Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK): Product for which sampling norms were revised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 876
TO BE ANSWERED ON 4TH FEBRUARY, 2026
RELAXING OF THE MOISTURE NORMS
876. THIRU THANGA TAMILSELVAN:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
be pleased to state:
(a): whether the Union Government has received any letter from the State Government of
Tamil Nadu requesting to relax the moisture norm from 17 per cent to 22 per cent to avoid ruin
and to save the paddy farmers from heavy losses to raise the Union's Kharif procurement target
for Tamil Nadu from 16 lakh tonnes to match actual output and ease norms for sampling
Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) so that hulling and movement of stocks are not slowed down;
(b): if so, the details thereof;
(c): whether any action taken or proposed to be taken by the Government on the Tamil Nadu
Government request; and
(d): if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIM ATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)
(a) to (d): Yes. The request of the State Government of Tamil Nadu to relax the moisture norm
for paddy from 17 % to 22% has not been considered due to following facts:
> Paddy can be dried before milling; procurement of excessively moist paddy introduces
significant operational risk, including loss of stock during storage and compromised milling
recovery.
> Paddy with high moisture content is susceptible in terms of rapid deterioration, fungal
growth, discolouration, and infestation.
> The State Governments have been repeatedly advised to develop driage facilities at the
procurement stages.
> The relaxation in moisture content has no direct financial implication on farmers, therefore,
such relaxation is no longer considered.
Further, the estimates for procurement of paddy are finalized by the Government of India in
consultation with the State Governments before the commencement of each marketing season,based on estimated production, marketable surplus and crop patterns. Accordingly, the estimates of
procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 (Kharif crop) in Tamil Nadu have been fixed at 16.00
Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) in terms of rice.
Moreover, with respect to the easing of norms for sampling Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK),
the department has revised the Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) sample size from 10 MT to 21 MT
and packaging size from 25 Kg to 50 Kg.
SeRS( R +c $c