Telangana will Achieve Record Paddy Procurement This Season: Uttam

Hyderabad: With Telangana achieving record paddy production, the Civil Supplies Department is set to make a record procurement of paddy, said Civil Supplies & Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy.

"Despite Kaleshwaram project remaining non-functional, the State achieved a historic paddy production of 153 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) from 66.07 lakh acres, cultivated by 40 lakh farmers. The Congress government has taken several measures to ensure efficient procurement operations," he said. As of November 23, over 21.73 LMT of paddy, valued at Rs 5,040.01 crore, has been procured.

Speaking to media persons after making a surprise visit to paddy procurement centres in the Huzurnagar constituency on Sunday, Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted that 16.06 LMT of the procurement comprised coarse varieties (Doddu), while 5.67 LMT were fine varieties (Sannaalu). To encourage farmers cultivating fine varieties, a bonus of Rs 283.25 crore has been announced, with Rs 80.17 crore already disbursed. Payments worth Rs2,760.22 crore have been released to farmers, surpassing last year’s Rs2,414.23 crore by Rs345.99 crore. The remaining Rs 2,279.78 crore will be disbursed soon, he assured.

This procurement reflects the government’s robust agricultural policies and unwavering support for farmers, he said. Minister Uttam revealed that Telangana achieved a historic paddy production of 153 LMT from 66.07 lakh acres despite the Kaleshwaram project remaining non-functional. He announced that 7,990 procurement centres are operational this year—an increase of 2,447 centres compared to last year’s 5,543—ensuring better access for farmers. He assured farmers that the government will continue procurement operations until January 10, giving ample time for all paddy to be purchased, including from remote villages.

As part of his commitment to ensuring efficient operations, Uttam Kumar Reddy condcted surprise inspections at multiple grain procurement centres, catching farmers and officials off guard. During these visits, he interacted directly with farmers, who expressed satisfaction with this season’s yield but raised concerns about delays in transportation arrangements. Acting promptly, the Minister contacted senior officials to address these issues, emphasising the need for the timely availability of transport vehicles.