Pinarayi Vijayan Criticises Centre For Calling Rise In Paddy Production A Burden

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday strongly criticised the central government for describing increased paddy production as a burden on the country, calling the stance anti-farmer and indicative of a hostile attitude towards Kerala. He said such a position challenges farmers and undermines the state’s efforts to protect agriculture and food security.

In a statement, Vijayan said the Centre had asked Kerala to discontinue the additional incentive bonus it provides to paddy farmers over and above the Minimum Support Price fixed by the Union government. He pointed out that the Union Finance Ministry’s Expenditure Secretary had officially conveyed that higher-than-required paddy production was leading to procurement costs becoming a strain on the public exchequer, a view that was communicated to the state through a letter received by the Chief Secretary.

The chief minister said Kerala supports paddy farmers by offering an additional ₹6.31 per kilogram during procurement and questioned why the Centre was uneasy with this support. He alleged that while corporate loans worth thousands of crores are written off without hesitation, the modest bonus given to farmers is being projected as a major financial burden.

Vijayan said portraying increased agricultural output as a liability was an attempt to pressure the state into reviewing its existing bonus policy, reflecting hostility not just towards farmers but towards Kerala itself. He also raised concerns over whether this move was linked to opening domestic markets to American agricultural products under the Indo-US trade agreement.

He further accused the Centre of adopting this stance even as it failed to release its share of assistance to paddy farmers on time. The remarks came a day after LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Centre’s directive, warning that it could weaken India’s food self-sufficiency and pose a threat to national food security.

The controversy stems from a January 9 letter by a senior Union Finance Ministry official asking Kerala to review and consider discontinuing additional incentives on wheat and paddy, suggesting a shift towards promoting pulses, oilseeds and millets in line with national priorities. Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad has already rejected the proposal, calling it unacceptable and asserting that the state would not compromise on paddy cultivation.