Date:27/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/27/stories/2005042704790300.htm

Kerala - Alappuzha

Bank loans to revive paddy cultivation

Staff Reporter

Steps to improve storage facility

ALAPPUZHA: The Alappuzha district cooperative bank is planning various steps to improve the storage facilities of paddy in the district with the aim of helping paddy farmers, the bank president, Nalanda Gopalakrishnan Nair, has said.

At a press conference here, Mr. Nair said the bank would take steps to increase the storage facility of paddy in the district by 7,500 metric tons. The proposed project for it would be implemented as a part of the integrated cooperative development programme (ICDP) being implemented in the district, he said.

Mr. Nair said the bank had already built godowns of 3,000 tons capacity in various cooperative societies in the district. The bank had allotted a sum of Rs. 15 crores to cooperative societies in Kuttanad this year for procurement of paddy, said Mr. Nair.

The bank general manager, M. P. Gopalakrishnan Pillai, said the bank had plans to help cooperative societies build rice mills in various parts of the district as part of the ICDP.

He pointed out that the plan aimed to save paddy farmers of Kuttanad from the clutches of private mill owners who force farmers to sell paddy at low prices to them.

Mr. Nalanda Gopalakrishnan Nair said the bank would take steps to help the cooperative societies take over the closed Mata Rice Mill, Nedumudy and the rice mill and godown of the warehousing corporation at Thakazhi which was lying unused at present.

He said the bank would also provide loans to cooperative societies to rent mobile rice mill units from other States for paddy processing during the harvest season.

Mr. Nair said the bank would also provide loans for building bailing units for processing hay. At present, a large quantity of hay was being lost in the paddy fields of Kuttanad, he pointed out.