Kerala BJP, Pinarayi on same page over paddy bonus cut

This came after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opposed the letter, which stated that paddy production has exceeded requirements and procurement costs have become a burden on the exchequer. Opposing the move, Vijayan called the Centre’s stand “bizarre” and said it was nothing but a challenge to farmers. He added that his government “stood with paddy cultivators”.

Significantly, the Kerala government provides an additional bonus of Rs 6.31 per kg for paddy procurement. The development comes just ahead of Assembly polls in Kerala.

Sharing the CPI(M) government’s sentiments, the BJP state president urged the Union Finance Minister to exclude Kerala from the move, adding that its case may be considered separately in view of its specific agricultural, ecological, and food security considerations.

“Inclusion of Kerala alongside surplus-producing states may not accurately reflect the situation in the state,” it said.

Paddy procurement in Kerala, it said, operates under a distinct framework shaped by unique agro-climatic conditions, small landholdings, declining production levels, and the objective of sustaining cultivation primarily for food security rather than surplus generation.