Hyderabad: Telangana achieved its highest-ever paddy procurement, purchasing 75 lakh metric tonnes during the current Yasangi season despite a lower procurement target fixed by the Centre, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat along with Ministers Adluri Lakshman and Vakiti Srihari, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Centre had approved a procurement target of only 52 lakh metric tonnes for Telangana.
However, the State procured 75 lakh metric tonnes and expected another one to two lakh metric tonnes to arrive at procurement centres in the coming days.
Telangana paddy procurement exceeds central target
The Minister said the government fulfilled its commitment to purchase every grain brought by farmers to procurement centres.
He stated that the State bore an additional financial burden of around ₹6,650 crore during the Yasangi season to ensure that farmers received the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“The Centre fixed a target of only 52 LMT. But we went ahead and procured 75 LMT to protect Telangana farmers. Our priority is clear — Telangana paddy farmers must be protected first,” he said.
According to Uttam Kumar Reddy, Telangana emerged as the largest producer and procurer of Rabi paddy in the country.
He said more than 61 percent of the total Yasangi paddy procured in India came from Telangana. In comparison, Andhra Pradesh procured around 25 lakh metric tonnes, Tamil Nadu 12 lakh metric tonnes, Maharashtra 5 lakh metric tonnes, Odisha 4 lakh metric tonnes and Kerala 2 lakh metric tonnes.
The Minister noted that Yasangi procurement was more challenging than Kharif because the entire crop reached procurement centres within 40 to 45 days.
Despite the short procurement window, the government managed procurement centres, gunny bags, transportation, mill movement and farmer payments, he said.
Telangana paddy procurement crosses historic milestone
Uttam Kumar Reddy said total procurement during Kharif and Rabi in the 2025–26 marketing season had already crossed 147 lakh metric tonnes.
He described it as the highest paddy procurement recorded in the history of Telangana and even the erstwhile combined Andhra Pradesh.
The Minister said the achievement came under normal market conditions. Therefore, it differed from procurement during the COVID-19 period when private markets remained closed.
He added that the government had directly credited about ₹35,077 crore into the bank accounts of 25.20 lakh farmers for Kharif and Rabi procurement.
According to the Minister, the present government paid significantly higher amounts to farmers through MSP procurement compared with previous years.
Telangana paddy procurement backed by farmer support measures
Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised the BJP-led Central government for reducing Telangana’s procurement quota despite rising production levels.
He argued that improved irrigation facilities and farmer-focused policies had contributed to higher agricultural output in the state.
The Minister said Telangana followed all MSP norms, Fair Average Quality standards and moisture regulations prescribed by the Centre.
Therefore, he maintained that the Centre should procure the entire quantity purchased by the State government.
Responding to concerns raised by opposition parties, Uttam Kumar Reddy clarified that the government had also procured 12,557 metric tonnes of rain-affected paddy at MSP.
He said authorities shifted the affected stock to boiled rice mills within 12 hours to prevent losses to farmers.