Hyderabad: The Telangana Civil Supplies Department prepared 8,283 centres for Kharif paddy procurement, which was scheduled to begin in the first week of October.
The department expected to procure about 65 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy during the Kharif 2026-27 season. Procurement operations were planned through Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) across the state.
The department also put in place an SHT strategy covering storage, hamali workers and transport. The strategy was aimed at ensuring smooth procurement and preventing leakages in the supply chain.
Meanwhile, the government mandated an AgriStack Farmer ID for farmers seeking to claim the paddy bonus. Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Ex-Officio Principal Secretary to Government M. Stephen Raveendra reviewed procurement preparedness on Tuesday.
He conducted detailed reviews and video conferences with all District Civil Supplies Officers and District Managers. The discussions assessed arrangements made for Kharif paddy procurement at the ground level.
Kharif paddy procurement backed by storage plan
Raveendra said adequate stocks of gunny bags and tarpaulins had been arranged at all 8,283 procurement centres. Sufficient transport vehicles were also made available to support procurement operations. In addition, the department kept contingency stocks ready for immediate deployment when required.
The commissioner said officials had strengthened inter-departmental coordination to ensure adequate availability of hamali workers. The workers would handle the prompt unloading and stacking of paddy at procurement centres. The department also mobilised all available storage space to prevent capacity shortages during the procurement season.
The storage plan included defunct rice mills, function halls and emergency Cover and Plinth (CAP) facilities. These facilities would provide additional capacity as the Kharif paddy procurement operation progressed.