Hyderabad: Paddy procurement preparedness was reviewed by Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy during an on-ground assessment at Huzurnagar market yard in Suryapet district on Tuesday.
The Minister said the government was making extensive arrangements for smooth Minimum Support Price operations during the Rabi marketing season. He stated that the state targets procurement of 90 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
He said officials were preparing to reach every farmer and ensure payments within 48 hours. According to him, the government aimed to streamline procurement and prevent delays this season.
Paddy procurement preparedness targets bumper Rabi output
The Minister said Telangana’s Rabi paddy production is expected to exceed 148 lakh metric tonnes. Therefore, authorities have put comprehensive arrangements in place to manage the bumper harvest and prevent distress sales.
Officials are opening over 8,251 paddy purchase centres across all districts. These centres are supported by modern infrastructure, storage facilities and logistics systems.
The government has already supplied more than 16 crore gunny bags. This measure will support storage and transportation of procured paddy. In addition, each centre will function under a designated officer. These officers will monitor procurement, quality checks, payments and transparency.
Paddy procurement preparedness ensures MSP and monitoring
Uttam Kumar Reddy stressed zero tolerance for hurdles in paddy movement to purchase centres. He directed district administrations to expedite the opening of all centres. He also instructed them to ensure uninterrupted transport of harvested produce.
Strict monitoring systems have been introduced to prevent unauthorised diversion. The government will ensure MSP rates of Rs 2,369 per quintal for common grade and Rs 2,389 per quintal for fine varieties.
The Minister also addressed issues related to boiled rice procurement under the custom milled rice scheme. He said the Centre reduced allocation for boiled rice. Meanwhile, rice millers raised concerns over stricter norms on permissible broken rice levels in supplies to the Food Corporation of India.
Millers highlighted operational challenges in meeting enhanced quality parameters. In response, the Minister said the state would coordinate with millers and the Union Food Ministry to resolve the issues.
He said the government would take up the matter with the Centre to safeguard the interests of farmers and millers. A Chief Minister-level review on procurement will be held soon to assess progress and resolve pending issues.
Recalling the previous Kharif season, the Minister said Telangana procured about 72 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. He described it as a record achievement by any state in a single season. He added that the government transferred over Rs 19,500 crore directly to farmers’ accounts.
The Minister said authorities are fine-tuning the entire procurement system. These include logistics, storage, gunny bag supply and quality monitoring. He added that the state is preparing for another potentially record-breaking Rabi season.