Fine varieties of rice have become costlier across Tamil Nadu, with prices rising by up to Rs 5 per kg, as supplies from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have declined.
Traders say the state’s delta districts, including Thanjavur, largely produce coarse paddy, much of which is procured by the government for the public distribution system. Output of fine rice varieties is comparatively limited.
Tamil Nadu’s annual rice requirement is estimated at 91 lakh tonnes, while production is around 75 lakh tonnes. About 5 lakh tonnes are sent to Kerala, leaving an overall shortfall of roughly 21 lakh tonnes, which is typically met through inflows from other states.
To bridge the gap, around 30 lakh tonnes of premium fine rice is brought in every year from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. With inadequate rainfall reported in parts of Karnataka affecting fine paddy cultivation, arrivals have fallen, leading to the current price rise.
A Kanchipuram-based paddy and rice trader, Munusamy, said KNM and RNR paddy varieties that earlier arrived in about 200 lorries a day until last month have now stopped. He added that a 26-kg bag that sold for Rs 1,150 in wholesale has risen to Rs 1,250, with wholesale prices up by Rs 3–4 per kg and retail rates higher by Rs 5–7 per kg.
