Hyderabad: Telangana set a Rabi paddy procurement target of 90 lakh metric tonnes for the ongoing season. Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced a statewide plan to buy every grain farmers bring at the government-fixed minimum support price.
The minister unveiled the Rabi paddy procurement plan at a preparatory meeting in Hyderabad on Monday. Additional collectors, district civil supplies officers and Civil Supplies Corporation district managers attended the meeting. He said farmers would cultivate paddy across 54.48 lakh acres this season. The crop is expected to produce about 152.03 lakh metric tonnes.
The Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited fixed the Rabi paddy procurement target at 90 lakh metric tonnes. The target includes 60 lakh metric tonnes of coarse paddy and 30 lakh metric tonnes of fine variety. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state would buy the produce at the officially announced MSP. Therefore, the government designed the procurement process to reduce hardship for farmers across districts.
To strengthen the Rabi paddy procurement drive, the state will set up 8,251 paddy purchase centres. IKP, PACS and other agencies will operate these centres. The minister said the wide network would reduce farmer travel and enable procurement near villages. Moreover, the centres will use modern tools and receive storage and transport support. Officials will also monitor weather conditions during procurement operations.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government would not allow distress sales during the season. Instead, officials will procure every grain farmers bring to purchase centres. He also directed officials to maintain strict monitoring across districts. In addition, authorities must identify godowns in advance and provide field-level support so procurement runs smoothly.
Rabi paddy procurement measures rolled out across Telangana
The minister also reiterated the MSP rates for the season. Grade A paddy will fetch Rs 2,389 per quintal. Meanwhile, the common variety will fetch Rs 2,369 per quintal. He said these prices would protect farmers from market fluctuations. As a result, the MSP system will support farmers’ incomes during the procurement season.
He then outlined key measures to achieve what he called a record-level procurement target. First, officials must strictly follow the announced MSP rates during all purchases. This step, he said, will strengthen transparency and farmer confidence. Meanwhile, authorities have already positioned sufficient gunny bags across procurement centres.
Further, officials must arrange enough vehicles well in advance. These vehicles will move paddy from purchase centres to rice mills without delay. Uttam Kumar Reddy said smooth logistics remain critical for large procurement operations. Therefore, every stage requires strong coordination among departments.
He said the decentralised network of purchase centres would speed up procurement across Telangana. Storage facilities and transport support will further reduce delays. Consequently, farmers will experience faster and smoother procurement operations.
The minister described the plan as a coordinated exercise covering cultivation estimates, procurement targets and logistics. Officials will monitor the Rabi paddy procurement process from field to mill stage. However, he stressed that the core objective remains unchanged. The government will procure every grain farmers offer without distress sales.