Telangana Set For Record Paddy Procurement

Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy today said that Telangana was poised to achieve record-breaking paddy procurement this season due to historic paddy production.

The minister was speaking after inspecting the operations during a surprise visit to paddy procurement centres in the Huzurnagar constituency.

"Despite the Kaleshwaram project being non-functional, the State achieved a remarkable paddy production of 153 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), from 66.07 lakh acres cultivated by 40 lakh farmers. And the Congress government has implemented several measures to ensure efficient operations for procurement of the crop," he said.

"As of November 23, the civil supplies department has procured over 21.73 LMT of paddy, valued at Rs 5,040.01 crore. Of this, 16.06 LMT consist of coarse varieties (doddu), while 5.67 LMT are fine varieties (sannaalu). To incentivize farmers growing fine varieties, the government announced a bonus of Rs 283.25 crore, and Rs 80.17 crore have already been disbursed. Payments totaling Rs 2,760.22 crore have been released to farmers, surpassing last year's Rs 2,414.23 crore by Rs 345.99 crore. The remaining Rs 2,279.78 crore will be disbursed shortly," the minister said.

"This procurement milestone underscores the government's commitment to robust agricultural policies and its unwavering support for farmers. This year, 7,990 procurement centres are operational - an increase of 2,447 centres compared to last year's 5,543 - ensuring better access for farmers. Procurement operations will continue until January 10, providing sufficient time for all paddy, including that from remote villages, to be purchased," he added.

The minister also interacted with farmers during his visit, and sought their feedback on the procurement. Many expressed satisfaction with this season's yield but voiced concerns over delays in transportation arrangements. Responding immediately, the minister contacted senior officials to address the issue, emphasizing the need for timely availability of transport vehicles to ensure smooth operations.