As reported over the weekend, Tamil Nadu Food and Civil Supplies Minister P. Venkataramanan on Saturday 31 October inaugurated two paddy storage facilities with structural roofing in Srimushnam taluk of Cuddalore district. The two sites cost ₹11.56 crore in total, were built with assistance from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and hold 7,000 tonnes between them. Melapalayur has 2,000 tonnes of capacity built at ₹3.83 crore and Thethampattu has 5,000 tonnes built at ₹7.73 crore, The Hindu reported. District Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar was present.
This is notable because these are two of five facilities with a combined 33,500 tonnes under development in the district. The rest are at Veppur taluk (9,500 tonnes), Vanamadevi in Kattumannarkoil taluk (6,000 tonnes) and Thazhanallur in Tittakudi taluk (11,000 tonnes). In the 2025-26 Kharif (monsoon crop) season, 748 direct procurement centres (DPCs), where the state buys paddy straight from farmers, procured 5,66,210.88 tonnes, and 202 centres have bought 61,004.6 tonnes so far in 2026-27.
Our expert view is that covered storage is the right fix, because paddy kept in the open at procurement points is exposed to rain and loses quality. Farmers and the state procurement system gain from lower losses, while private storage owners and transporters who move paddy to distant godowns may lose some business. Coverage misses the operator and the opening dates for the remaining 26,500 tonnes, and 7,000 tonnes is small next to the 5.66 lakh tonnes bought last season. We predict, with low confidence, that at least one of the three remaining Cuddalore facilities will open before 31 March 2027.
This is relevant for our readers because new state paddy storage in Cuddalore changes demand for private storage in the district. This week, if you run a warehouse near Srimushnam, Veppur or Tittakudi, ask the district civil supplies office whether it plans to keep hiring private space. If you supply handling or fumigation services, ask who will operate the new sites.
Sources: The Hindu, 1 November 2026, Minister inaugurates modern paddy storage facilities in Cuddalore district
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