Telangana govt procures 50 lakh tones of paddy in Rabi season

The Telangana government procured over 50 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy in the ongoing Rabi (Yasangi) season as of May 15—double the quantity procured during the same period—under the previous BRS regime.

Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, during a high-level video conference with senior officials, pointed out that in the Rabi 2022-23 season, paddy procurement stood at 25.35 LMT, which increased to 32.93 LMT in Rabi 2023-24, according to an official release issued on Friday.

“This year, in the ongoing Rabi 2024-25 season, procurement has reached 49.53 LMT by mid-May—a historic high and a clear reflection of the Congress government’s commitment to farmers,” the release quoted Reddy as saying.

He said this season’s procurement follows record paddy cultivation across 60.14 lakh acres during Rabi, with an estimated output of 129.35 LMT.

Against this backdrop, the government had set a procurement target of 70.13 LMT, of which more than 71 per cent had already been achieved by mid-May.

To accommodate the surge in production and ensure smooth procurement, the government significantly ramped up its infrastructure. As many as 8,348 Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) were established this season, 1,311 more than in the previous Rabi season.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the expansion of procurement operations was done to ensure that no farmer is made to wait or suffer while selling their produce.

The Minister reiterated that the government would also procure moisture-laden paddy affected by unseasonal rains and assured farmers that even if their crops had been soaked by recent rains, the damaged paddy would still be procured to prevent distress sales.

He directed District Collectors to maintain strict ground-level monitoring and to immediately identify and address any logistical or administrative gaps.

With procurement expected to peak in the next 10 to 12 days, officials were asked to remain on high alert to facilitate uninterrupted operations, the release added.